Thoughts Higher Than Mine_Living Word Chronicle

Never choose revenge as a defense. Your barrage of words in your own defense will escalate with every expression. Words are easy to pick up, yet hard to put down. Pick not words from the wisdom of man and carnality, for they are snares used by your enemy to bind you up. Listen to the voice of the spirit and not to the voice of revenge. Revenge is bitter. It is never sweet. Though the taste of revenge tastes sweet to raging emotions, it is bitter to the belly and your future. Taste it not lest you develop a taste you cannot control.

(RHEMA: Fight the Enemy's Accusation With a Silent Heart and a Silent Tongue)

I purpose never to choose revenge as a defense. My barrage of words in my own defense will escalate with every expression. Words are easy to pick up, yet hard to put down. I determine not to pick words from the wisdom of man and carnality, for they are snares used by my enemy to bind me up. I listen to the voice of the spirit and not to the voice of revenge. Revenge is bitter. It is never sweet. Though the taste of revenge tastes sweet to raging emotions, it is bitter to the belly and my future. I do not taste it lest I develop a taste I cannot control.

By Moses Hightower

Moses and Thelma Hightower

Jesus, the Difference Between a Filthy Rag and the Garment of Salvation

Your righteousness is as a filthy rag. I have given you my righteousness. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I am your righteousness. I have come to live inside of you. You are wretched and so is every man. Be not disturbed by the accusations of men. In your flesh, you fall short. I do not fall short. You are crucified with me, nevertheless, you live, yet not you, but I live in you. The life you now live in the flesh, you live by my faith. I love you and gave myself for you. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to you, for you are walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh. The law of the Spirit of life in me has made you free from the law of sin and death. I was cursed for your sake. If I took the curse, who is it that will place you back under the curse?

Let us go on. There is work to do. There are souls to win for my name's sake. Be not distracted by the subtle attacks of the enemy. Do not enter into foolish debates with men. Leave them to me. I will handle all your battles. Take care of my business. I will be your defense and your shelter. Remember, I have placed you on a bridge above distraction. Do not lower yourself to the broad way of distraction. You cannot abide in heavenly places while warring with men on the broad way. Look up. I have placed you above these distractions. The bridge in heavenly places is a secure place. It is lit with the light of my glory, and no darkness abides here. Angels patrol this bridge, and no vultures or beasts travel here. Reject the messages sent from the broad way, and entertain them not, for they are messages of diversions. Be not diverted from the business at hand by their agitations. I am not the author of confusion; therefore, allow not the writer of this amusement to gain an audience from you. Allow them to drown in their own chaos. They shall float down the river of turmoil without the life raft of love and faith. Their rebellion has disoriented them, and they are controlled by the spirit of witchcraft. Join them not in a meaningless war of words that does not profit. Offer praise and thanksgiving for your God, who has justified you by grace and accepted you in the beloved.

The parched ground has become a pool of fresh living water. Come and drink of the waters of life. You have been washed with the water of my word. Bathe in this living source, and receive new strength from the joy in these waters. There is an abundance of life in these mighty waters. They flow with the strength of my glory. Do not wear the raincoat of unbelief while bathing in these waters. I will wash away all fear. The terror of the future shall fade into the darkness. The dread of uncertainty shall become pale in the presence of new confidence. The alarm of worry shall faint at the sight of attending angels on your behalf. Rejoice. I have made you glad at a time when sadness sought you to bring you down to regret.

The rays of my everlasting light have shined into you. These rays have provided new spiritual energy in a time of human weakness. Give thanks for the wave of miracles that have come into your life. The howling of wolves on the outside should not disturb you. I have used my rod on them, and they can do nothing but howl. Do not allow their howling to disrupt your peace. They are howling because they have been stifled at the door of my sheepfold. They sought to subtly enter in. I placed words of wisdom in your mouth, and now their true spirit is revealed. False apologies have been turned into accusations. The spirit of the accuser has spoken. Now the words of the accuser have mirrored their hearts. I have forbidden their entrance; therefore, they howl, for they are hungry for the flesh of my sheep.

Embrace thanksgiving and praise. The rays of light shall brighten with each expression of thanksgiving and praise. From the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, the seven spirits of God are realized. Do not return to the clouds and fogs of the broad way. I have not chosen you to dwell there. You dwell on the hill of salvation as a tree of righteousness. Allow the rays from the seven spirits of God to shine through you to hungry souls today. Do not allow their rays to be hidden by the spirit of distraction. Say, "Get thee behind me, Distraction. The Lord has made me free." I have clothed you with a garment of salvation. Now walk, speak, and be a prince who has power with me. You wear the coat of many colors, for you have found favor in my sight. Rejoice.

By Don Grigsby

Don and Linda Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - Jesus, the Difference Between a Filthy Rag and the Garment of Salvation

Our attempts to manufacture righteousness are as vain as Adam using fig leaves to cover his nakedness. Sin had so polluted and stained the image of man that no artist's makeover could cover the filthy residue that was left behind. When we try to use the same fabric of human efforts to redress images that should reflect his glory, we still have a mud covered mirror. Justification and righteousness come from the same original Greek word. It means we have been counted not guilty by his sacrifice. It is the most wonderful words you can hear in a criminal court of law that we are not guilty. His work in us of power that demonstrates daily his eternal power transcends man's ability. The canal mind is not subject to the law of God and neither can it be. We must have the creator to create a new heart out of which flows the works of his righteousness. Every accuser and adversary must stand aside in the face of his justification for it has already been said, "Who is he that condemns us?" As we may be attacked daily with the barrage of the enemy's condemnation, we need to remind him that we have been accepted by the Lord and nobody else can reject me that matters. As we esteem the treasure of his gift of righteousness and grace we are lifted above the petty conversation of those who have chosen to dwell in the mundane and the trivial. Let us rejoice in the final verdict of victory in our behalf.

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

My righteousness is as a filthy rag. Jesus has given me his righteousness. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Lord is my righteousness. He has come to live inside of me. I am wretched and so is every man. I will not be disturbed by the accusations of men. In my flesh, I fall short. The Lord does not fall short. I am crucified with him, nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by his faith. He loves me and gave himself for me. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to me, for I am walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. He was cursed for my sake. Jesus took the curse, now no one will place me back under the curse.

We shall go on. There is work to do. There are souls to win for his name's sake. I will not be distracted by the subtle attacks of the enemy. I will not enter into foolish debates with men. I leave them to God. He will handle all my battles. I will take care of his business. He will be my defense and my shelter. I remember, he has placed me on a bridge above distraction. I do not lower myself to the broad way of distraction. I cannot abide in heavenly places while warring with men on the broad way. I will look up. The Lord has placed me above these distractions. The bridge in heavenly places is a secure place. It is lit with the light of his glory, and no darkness abides here. Angels patrol this bridge, and no vultures or beasts travel here. I reject the messages sent from the broad way and entertain them not, for they are messages of diversions. I will not be diverted from the business at hand by their agitations. Jesus is not the author of confusion; therefore, I will not allow the writer of this amusement to gain an audience from me. I allow them to drown in their own chaos. They shall float down the river of turmoil without the life raft of love and faith. Their rebellion has disoriented them, and they are controlled by the spirit of witchcraft. I will not join them in a meaningless war of words that does not profit. I offer praise and thanksgiving for my God, who has justified me by grace and accepted me in the beloved.

The parched ground has become a pool of fresh living water. I will go and drink of the waters of life. I have been washed with the water of God's word. I bathe in this living source and receive new strength from the joy in these waters. There is an abundance of life in these mighty waters. They flow with the strength of God's glory. I do not wear the raincoat of unbelief while bathing in these waters. He will wash away all fear. The terror of the future shall fade into the darkness. The dread of uncertainty shall become pale in the presence of new confidence. The alarm of worry shall faint at the sight of attending angels on my behalf. I rejoice. Jesus has made me glad at a time when sadness sought me to bring me down to regret.

The rays of God's everlasting light have shined into me. These rays have provided new spiritual energy in a time of human weakness. I give thanks for the wave of miracles that have come into my life. The howling of wolves on the outside will not disturb me. The Lord has used his rod on them, and they can do nothing but howl. I will not allow their howling to disrupt my peace. They are howling because they have been stifled at the door of God's sheepfold. They sought to subtly enter in. Jesus placed words of wisdom in my mouth, and now their true spirit is revealed. False apologies have been turned into accusations. The spirit of the accuser has spoken. Now the words of the accuser have mirrored their hearts. The Lord has forbidden their entrance; therefore, they howl, for they are hungry for the flesh of God's sheep.

I embrace thanksgiving and praise. The rays of light shall brighten with each expression of thanksgiving and praise. From the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, the seven spirits of God are realized. I do not return to the clouds and fogs of the broad way. He has not chosen me to dwell there. I dwell on the hill of salvation as a tree of righteousness. I allow the rays from the seven spirits of God to shine through me to hungry souls today. I do not allow their rays to be hidden by the spirit of distraction. I say, "Get thee behind me, Distraction. The Lord has made me free." He has clothed me with a garment of salvation. Now I will walk, speak, and be a prince who has power with God. I wear the coat of many colors, for I have found favor in his sight. I rejoice.

RHEMA

By Don Grigsby

RE: CONFESSION OF FAITH - Words of Light Upon the Face of a Dark, Mysterious Trial

Since the daily bread did not come through on the E-mail, I know that the confession and the bread are similar, so I wanted to send what the Lord had dealt with me about in a trial I had just gone through. It is similar but a little different but the same faithful God and same victorious result. I was fighting a mental battle about some things that needed to happen but were not moving at all. This is what the Lord shared with me.

I am not a captive of the time that you struggle and wrestle with. Rise up, and seize the day. Refuse to allow it to be the master of your thoughts. I am in time and yet beyond time. All the offending and opposing forces shall never overthrow the eternal power that is in you. You are the child of the resurrection. Resurrection is before time, in time, and after time. I am the abiding river of victory that never ceases to flow, with more than today. Refuse to allow your experience to be turned into a relic of time. Allow your cup to run over with the anointing of the hereafter. My servant John came to understand that the hereafter is that which you think will come sometimes after now but the after is here now. When Joel looked at the threshing floors that would run over, he was seeing that all the experiences of the past and present would soon overflow with more than tomorrow could hold. As David my servant had his cup to run over, then all his days became a past of the future that had run over in the cup of his today!

(Remember surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.)

Allow me to wash away the feelings of inadequacy by the floods of tomorrow. Delinquencies and deficits of today are defeated by the anointing of my eternal power. Tomorrow will come into your life and depose the imposters and frauds that are trying to occupy the thrones of your today. My people need to become proactive rather than reactive. Spiritual terrorists will always defeat you as long as you wait for something to happen. I have placed within you the power to create the tomorrow that will exclude the terrorists of the spiritual arena. Even though it is not recorded this way when I spoke to John and spoke of the hereafter, I was indicating that it was not over, but the after had just arrived in the midst of the floods of here and now. What has been behind you will meet the victory that is here to defeat it now!

(Continued)

If you have the hope of eternal life dwelling in you, then purify yourself even as I am pure. It does not yet appear what you shall be, but when I appear, you shall be like me, for you shall see me as I am. I was manifested to take away your sins, and in me, there is no sin.

39. Why do many wrestle with their sins?

I was manifested that I might destroy the works of the devil. Continue teaching on loving one another, for this is the message that has been heard from the beginning, that they should love one another, not as Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother.

40. Why did he slay his brother?

(To Be Continued)

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