Thoughts Higher Than Mine_Living Word Chronicle

I have settled all wars at Calvary. Peace was won by the violence accepted against the Prince of Peace. Peace is never won in war, but the effects of war's results are escalated by war. War is the language of death. Why speak the language of death if you want your ears to hear the melody of peace?

The melody of peace is not sounded by the instruments of war. The melody of peace is not sung with the words of war from a sharp, witty tongue. The melody of peace is not written with the pens of self-defense, neither with the breath of revenge on instruments of violence. The pens of self-defense and the breath of revenge design and play the funeral songs of the mourners and the actors of regret. What melody will your children sing if you write the melodies of carnality and revenge?

These melodies merely bring you tears that you did not have to shed and broken hearts that will never heal. These melodies will bring you pain that you cannot heal. These melodies will bring to your door the dance of grief whose rhythm is too slow for joy to enter into. Revenge will blow its hot air across the instruments of hurt, but the sound from the instrument will be cold in the ears of those who wait on peace. Peace will take flight like an eagle and fly high above your self-made storm. War will engulf you and bring unwanted death and shame to the unwise summon sent by rebellious warriors of ignorance.

(RHEMA: Why Speak the Language of Death If You Want Your Ears To Hear the Melody of Peace?

Jesus has settled all wars at Calvary. Peace was won by the violence accepted against the Prince of Peace. Peace is never won in war, but the effects of war's results are escalated by war. War is the language of death. If I want my ears to hear the melody of peace, I will not speak the language of death. The melody of peace is not sounded by the instruments of war. The melody of peace is not sung with the words of war from a sharp, witty tongue. The melody of peace is not written with the pens of self-defense, neither with the breath of revenge on instruments of violence. The pens of self-defense and the breath of revenge design and play the funeral songs of the mourners and the actors of regret. My children will sing the melody of defeat and death if I write the melodies of carnality and revenge. These melodies merely bring me tears that I did not have to shed and broken hearts that will never heal. These melodies will bring me pain that I cannot heal. These melodies will bring to my door the dance of grief whose rhythm is too slow for joy to enter into. Revenge will blow its hot air across the instruments of hurt, but the sound from the instrument will be cold in the ears of those who wait on peace. Peace will take flight like an eagle and fly high above my self-made storm. War will engulf me and bring unwanted death and shame to the unwise summon sent by rebellious warriors of ignorance; therefore, I write and sing the melodies of peace.

By Moses Hightower

Moses and Thelma Hightower

God's Companionship and Deliverance While Going Through the Fire and the Flood

I have cut off the ungodly and given the wealth of the sinner to you. I prepared you a way and sent you to a place of refuge. In this house of refuge, you have life. Ponder not the mystery of this grace unto you, but simply believe. As I made a way for the lightning of the thunder, so has a decree been made for you. Grace has always been yours even in your times of serious inquiry. You have inquired of me and answered, "How can these things be?"

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Do you have understanding?

Who laid the measures thereof, if you know?

Or who has stretched the line upon it?

Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?

Or who laid the corner stone, thereof, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut up the sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb?

I made the clouds the garments, thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it, brake up for it my decreed place, set bars and doors and said, "Hitherto shall you come, but no further and here shall your proud waves be stayed?"

Have the gates of death been opened unto you?

Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?

Give your ear to me and my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth today. I will open my mouth and speak plain. I will make clear the dark sayings of old and will not hide them from you. I am furnishing you with a table in the wilderness of impossibility. In the place where many have tempted me and received the meat of lust and covetousness, I am causing the rock of impossibility to furnish you with fresh waters and fresh streams. I am giving you the bread of deliverance instead of the fire of my anger.

I have commanded the clouds of discouragement and opened unto you the doors of encouragement. I have rained down Rhema for you to eat and given you the corn of spiritual preservation. You are eating angel's food. Be content with this food for angels. Allow its freshness and completeness to fill you instead of your own desires. I have not left you in the land of lust and pride. I have cleaned your mouth of the meat of spiritual death and given you a mouth filled with the fresh word of God. Remember that I am your rock and the high God, your redeemer. Speak a word in due season, for the word of life is in your mouth. I am full of compassion. I have forgiven your iniquities. I did not destroy you when you sinned, but I turned my anger away from you and did not stir up my wrath. I know that you are but flesh; therefore, I have granted you compassion, for I know that you are a wind that passes away and does not come again.

There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the ends, thereof, are the ways of death. You ended up in a wilderness and a solitary place. You came to the deserts of spiritual debris. I have made all these places to blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. I have given these places the glory of the Lord and my excellency. Now shall people see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of your God.

I have placed a highway in your midst, a way that is called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over this way, but this way is for the wayfaring men seeking refuge from lions and ravenous beasts. The wayfaring of the hour have become the redeemed, and they are walking on the highway of holiness. The ransomed of the Lord are returning and coming to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They are obtaining joy and gladness. Sorrow and sighing are fleeing away. I have created you in righteousness. I formed you from the womb. I have begotten you again by a lively hope and called you by name. You are mine. Now when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not kindle you.

I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Fear not, for I am with you. I have created you for my glory. You are called by my name. You are my witnesses. You know, and you believe me. You understand that I am he, and before me, there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no savior. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, their King and your King. I have made a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, which brings forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the power, the rockets and the bombs. I shall cause all of the artillery of the enemy to fall down and not rise up against you. I shall make the enemy's power against you ineffective and quench his fire of wrath with the water of my word.

Remember, I am the God of old. I will do for you what I did in former times. I do a new thing for you. It is springing forth now. You shall know it. It is making a way in this wilderness. It is making rivers in your desert of helplessness. There is no temptation that has taken you but such as is common to you. I am faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but with the temptation also make a way for you to escape that you may be able to bear it; therefore, rejoice. A way is made for you.

By Don Grigsby

Don and Linda Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - God's Companionship and Deliverance While Going Through the Fire and the Flood

Paradoxes of power are the steps of a people of faith. Every problem is a platform for God to demonstrate his power. When Satan is not the center of attention, he must fade into the background. As the Hebrew children firmly stated the ability of God to deliver them, the enemy was consumed and the Lord was manifest. If we will learn that in the face of every screaming liar we should shout the greatness of God, we will always be victorious. Darkness is the pavilion of his power. Clouds are the dust of his feet. His power is hidden in a million places that we discover when we have challenges of our faith. Whether it is the fire of a furnace or the fever of a dreaded illness, the great physician stands behind the curtain of the unseen to deliver us from the hand of declarations of death. When gloom and despair are the messengers of the battle, we must refuse to listen to their report. When the enemy tries to wash us away in the floods of fear, God will have an arc that is at hand to take us to our desired haven. God is still in the business of turning our wilderness into a garden of Eden. Eden's sunrise is looking in the face of the sunset of every day that we live, and rejoice in him.

THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

The Lord has cut off the ungodly and given the wealth of the sinner to me. He prepared me a way and sent me to a place of refuge. In this house of refuge, I have life. I do not ponder the mystery of this grace unto me, but I simply believe. As God made a way for the lightning of the thunder, so has a decree been made for me. Grace has always been mine even in my times of serious inquiry. I have inquired of God and answered, "How can these things be?"

I was not there when he laid the foundations of the earth. I do not have that kind of understanding. God laid the measures thereof and has stretched the line upon it. I do not know where the foundations are fastened. The Lord laid the corner stone, thereof, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. He shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth as if it had issued out of the womb. He made the clouds the garments and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it, broke up for it is his decreed place, set bars and doors and said, "Hitherto shall you come, but no further: and here shall your proud waves be stayed."

The gates of death have not been opened unto me. I have not seen the doors of the shadow of death. I give my ear to God and his law. I will incline my ears to the words of his mouth today. He will open his mouth and speak plain. He will make clear the dark sayings of old and will not hide them from me. He is furnishing me with a table in the wilderness of impossibility. In the place where many have tempted him and received the meat of lust and covetousness, God is causing the rock of impossibility to furnish me with fresh waters and fresh streams. He is giving me the bread of deliverance instead of the fire of his anger. He has commanded the clouds of discouragement and opened unto me the doors of encouragement. He has rained down Rhema for me to eat and given me the corn of spiritual preservation. I am eating angel's food. I will be content with this food for angels. I allow its freshness and completeness to fill me instead of my own desires. God has not left me in the land of lust and pride. He has cleaned my mouth of the meat of spiritual death and given me a mouth filled with the fresh word of God. I remember that Jesus is my rock and the high God, my redeemer. I speak a word in due season, for the word of life is in my mouth. The Lord is full of compassion. He has forgiven my iniquities. He did not destroy me when I sinned, but he turned his anger away from me and did not stir up his wrath. God knows that I am but flesh; therefore, he has granted me compassion, for he knows that I am a wind that passes away and does not come again.

There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death. I ended up in a wilderness and a solitary place. I came to the deserts of spiritual debris. The Lord has made all these places to blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. He has given these places the glory of the Lord and his excellency. Now shall people see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of my God.

The Lord has placed a highway in my midst, a way that is called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over this way, but this way is for the wayfaring men seeking refuge from lions and ravenous beasts. The wayfaring of the hour has become the redeemed, and they are walking on the highway of holiness. The ransomed of the Lord are returning and coming to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They are obtaining joy and gladness. Sorrow and sighing are fleeing away. God has created me in righteousness. He formed me from the womb. He has begotten me again by a lively hope and called me by name. I am his. Now when I pass through the waters, he will be with me. When I pass through the rivers, they shall not overflow me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned, and the flames will not kindle me.

Jesus is the Lord my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior. I do not fear, for he is with me. He has created me for his glory. I am called by his name. I am his witness. I know, and I believe him. I understand that he is, and before him, there was no God formed, neither shall there be after him. He, even he, is the Lord, and beside him there is no savior. He is the Lord, my Holy One, the creator of Israel, their King and my King. He has made a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, which brings forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the power, the rockets and the bombs. He shall cause all of the artillery of the enemy to fall down and not rise up against me. He shall make the enemy's power against me ineffective and quench his fire of wrath with the water of his word.

I remember, he is the God of old. He will do for me what he did in former times. He does a new thing for me. It is springing forth now. I shall know it. It is making a way in this wilderness. It is making rivers in my desert of helplessness. There is no temptation that has taken me but such as is common to me. God is faithful and will not suffer me to be tempted above that I am able but with the temptation also make a way for me to escape that I may be able to bear it; therefore, I rejoice. A way is made for me.

INSPIRATION

By Don Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - Do Not Give Your Honor and Your Crown For Spiritual Adultery

In Acts 5, Peter said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Many follow after the ways of man, and in doing so, they pervert the ways of God into spiritual adultery. Our modern day, so called, apostolic movements have those who are like the Pharisees in the 12th chapter of John. They love the praise of men more than the praise God. We must make up in our minds to always hearken to the voice of God and disregard what men think that God is trying to say unto the church. Many lovers are come to the weak and unsure to cast them into a bed of fornication, away from our Beloved. Jezebel's spirit has continued to live to be able to use lies and false favor to get what she wants. As we listen to his voice, we will not be led to the pit and the mouth of the harlot spirit that will consume us in the lust of flesh and mind.

(Continued)

The prayer life of the people has been hijacked. Their prayer lives have been seized and diverted along the highway of religion. Prayer is not a religious deed. Prayer is communication with me, the Living God. I desire to restore true communication with me.

46. Why pray if you are not communicating with me?

47. Would I instruct you to pray if I would not speak unto you?

Follow me, and you will constantly seek those who are lost. It is the priority of the times.

48. What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?

I send you with grace filled lips. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer every man. You were given a testimony of the word of my grace. It was preached in your ears, and it has lifted you above every storm, every mountain, every obstacle, and in every trial. In your valleys, the word of my grace has spoken unto you.

49. Will you give a word of condemnation to others in despair and in their time of need?

The victory that I have won is not a victory that is beheld by the natural eyes. It is a victory that is beheld by the eyes of faith. I know your shortcomings. I know your failures. I know where you are. I know your destiny. Now come to the throne of grace, and behold the victory that is in my right hand. The same right hand that brought out Israel is the same right hand that has brought you out. Now lift your eyes from these pits and the threats of your enemies. These things have no power over you. You are redeemed by precious blood. Lift your eyes again to my blood and its power then offer fervent praises because of faith. Faith is a weapon that I have freely given every man.

50. Shall faith fail in the presence of the threats of voices from the darkness?

(To Be Continued)

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