Mary Lindow ~ The Messenger Podcast

Mary Lindow
  • 4.2 (5)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Semimonthly

This podcast is created with the intention of giving you a time of resting and learning to hear the voice of the Lord while allowing Him to speak into your life through 10 to 25 minute messages and teaching insights. Mary Lindow serves thorough mentoring, traveling as a teacher and voice of encouragement. Mary also ministers as a vocalist and is a Pastoral Counselor. Visit www.marylindow.com for information and fresh inspiration.

  1. May 10

    "FINDING A PLACE OF SAFETY AND ACCEPTANCE"

    By Mary Lindow   IT’S A STRANGE AND TWISTED WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN! Many well meaning people try hard to give pep talks, cheery texts and even send emails with profound  topics or inspirational contents all in the hope of giving a bit of relief from the ever increasing “noises” of an uncertain world. Jesus told us in John 16:33, “ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world."   WHAT DO YOU FEAR? This is not always an easy question to answer right away. Emotions and physical reactions to the question begin to swirl and elevate stress levels when anxiety creeps in. And, fear is a terror that can paralyze anyone if enough of it is allowed to enter our minds. And that is exactly where it first penetrates our peace. In the Mind.   Fear; noun Fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress; anxiety, worry, angst, unease, uneasiness, apprehension, nervousness, foreboding. That’s quite an explanation of how many ways fear can move and affects us!   WHEN WE FEAR WE MAKE POOR CHOICES If you are afraid or “fear” being misled by someone, you will limit your intimacy or openness with him or her. Many believers in need of healing emotionally from harsh or indifferent parenting tend to keep deep relationships or friendship at arm’s length in order to maintain a sense of control or privacy for themselves. This can become a form of “selective hearing or selective listening” if the individual feels that they need to remain aloof and frosty in order to gain the respect or validation that they feel that they need to exist. The problem with this cycle is that is creates a private  “terror” of not having a solid place of safety with a few dear and treasured people, flawed people… but those willing to also be vulnerable and open. Psalm 27:1 tells us that, “The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?”   Every situation, location, and relationship of our everyday lives is in some way broken.  As fallen creatures, the best we can ever do in this life is to know how to live in this broken-down house/earth suit, that’s our current address. And, nothing and no one but God himself, in the fullness of his time, can change where we live.  So as we experience the reality of life in "this house”…  Sometimes it will leave us confused and overwhelmed. Sometimes it will leave us hurt and angry.  Sometimes people will give way to envy because the house or “life” of someone living nearby seems far less broken.  Sometimes we just get weary of the stress of it all and long for a house in perfect repair.   YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE! In those moments, those days, those seasons, remember that you are never on your own. The Master Builder has given us a copy of his renovation manual, the Bible. It will help us to understand why things are as broken as they are. It teaches us how to live well even in the midst of the brokenness. And it will explain the only way in which repair can ever happen. Just never forget that the Designer himself has moved into the house with you. You’ve not been left alone. You can rest assured of his presence and his wisdom. His grace has blessed you with both of these. However, He must be fully welcomed and invited into all of the “locked and hidden access areas” that others are not often trusted to enter into. He who offers you such grace and guidance will never ask you to do what you are not fully capable of doing by God’s grace and ever present Spirit. He will not demand things of you that are beyond your abilities. Our Lord is tender and kind. He knows who you are and he knows where you’re living. He knows how hard it is to live in your broken-down house because in the flesh he lived here himself. The Lord invites you to walk away from trying to figure it out on your own and he welcomes you to sit at his feet and learn the simplicities of living; things so full of meaning that you will see your world in a completely new way; things so practical that you will never live the same way again.   “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,  but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3    TAKE A LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR FOR ONE MOMENT Have you recently made decisions about who you will share with on any level such as giving, talking of dreams, sorrows, losses, major life events, and then afterward - pulled back only to run to either another source for additional validation or to agree with your choices or decisions?  Or,  Have you reacted to some of the counsel or responses you have received by testing those whom you have shared with by removing your favor, kindness or former warmth from them? These actions are often made rapidly when we are fearful or fear being wounded, and shift us into a place of survival and self-protection. They can also isolate us from a loving, safe and healthy “corrective course” or direction away from fear and its tentacles.   FINDING THE PLACE OF SAFETY AND ACCEPTANCE When we step into the hand of God we find the place of acceptance and safety, and an opportunity for service. It’s the place of real authority, as well as of hiddenness. God works patiently with those who are in His hand and also those who keep jumping out of it, attempting to either control their own fears, but instead, often try to control others around them due to being fearful of the choices others make possibly affecting them. These actions and the need for control can greatly hinder the ability to trust other godly people and above all, to trust the safety of letting God do His job, while we rest in His hand. The more we lie sheltered there, the more surely will He use us down the road.  And, it will be alongside others who freely share all that they have, without fear. As we learn and as we let go we allow the Father to build a “Safe House” out of our lives in His presence.   May the Lord do for us according to His word. He said in Isaiah 51:16, "I have put My words in thy mouth,  and I have covered thee in the shadow of My hand."   Charles Spurgeon spoke such a beautiful statement, and I want to share it with you here. “The shadow of God is not the occasional resort, but the constant abiding- place, of the saint. Under His shadow we are to feel that we are at home,  and then He will make Himself at home to us by becoming food unto our souls,  and giving spiritual refreshment to us while we rest.”   NO MORE HOOPS TO JUMP! When this is learned and treasured, you will then not withhold from or test others with rules or regulations set up to certainly fail them. We ruin great friendships or opportunities when we expect from others total vulnerability and openness and then only give part of what we have and who we are back in return. Colossians 3:12 tells us, “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,  clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,  gentleness and patience.”   Perhaps you are waiting on Christ, desiring His company, and while you are thinking these thoughts you are asking,  “Will He ever direct His full gaze upon me?  Will He ever speak loving words to me?  Will He ever let me sit at His feet?  Will He ever permit me to lean my head upon His shoulder?"    COME AND STEP BACK INTO THE SHELTER OF HIS HAND. Though you might shake like a leaf in a strong wind. Come! Sometimes those who come trembling are those who are aware that they are the lowest and the Creator the highest. When we finally admit that our own self-esteem is less than nothing and is a total set up for performance to be valued, then Jesus becomes the “more good and lovely in our eyes”. Let your humility of heart and your sense of hollowness as a replacement for disqualifying you, be a sweet instrument for leading you to receive more of Christ. “Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, But humility comes before honor.”  -Proverbs 18:12    The emptier I am, the more room there is for the Lord. The more I lack, the more He will give me. The more I feel my weakness, the more shall I adore and bless Him when He makes me whole. You’re never in a better place than when you give up on you and begin to trust in what is certain.The life-shaping wisdom of the One who created you - in the first place. “After all, every house has a builder,  But the builder of everything is God.” -Hebrews 3:4   Christian self-worth is the deep, steady assurance that your value comes from God, not from what you do, how you look, or what others think about you.  It’s about embracing your identity as a beloved child of God, created on purpose and for a purpose. This kind of self-worth is unshakable because it’s rooted in His unchanging truth, not in the shifting opinions or standards of the world. The Bible reminds us in Psalm 139:14 that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and in Ephesians 2:10 that we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”  These verses aren’t just nice words; they are declarations of identity that stand firm no matter what life throws at us. When you live with Christian self-worth, you carry the peace of knowing that your worth is secure, even in moments of failure or uncertainty. Unlike worldly self-worth, which often rises and falls with success, relationships, or appearance, Christian self-worth is constant. It doesn’t ignore your flaws or struggles, but it frames them in the light of God’s grace. You can acknowledge your weaknesses without letting them define you, because your ultimate identity rests in who God says you are, and He calls you loved, chosen, a

    22 min

  2. Mar 20

    “The Control Connection and Lack of Accountability” - Those Who Reverence and Fear The Lord Are Stable, Predictable and Trustworthy

    By Mary Lindow   I welcome you to today's podcast and look forward to sharing this message with you!  I told you in my last podcast that had some things on my heart that we're concerning me as well as just observing some of the trajectory of things going on, I guess we could call it “largely in the Body of Christ”, as well as the Lord allowing exposures and allowing things to be brought to light when others choose to not fear and revere the Lord.  When they have no real understanding of how long he gives us before we are allowed to have that brought to light.   In Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 it says, (This is the key scripture I’m using to address part of this message.) “Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.”   BEING TESTED, STRETCHED, AND RESTRAINED. It’s in all of our lives as believers, we face times and settings where there is a feeling of being pulled and tested, stretched and restrained. Often, during these excruciating events, those who avoid personal character development tend to give unrestrained advice, spiritualized platitudes, and often, trumped up words of “so-called” prophetic inspiration to help us not suffer so much!   As we begin to see the Lord's plan in all of this we also come to understand that if we are not first hearing His voice, His heart, His word in the matters that are straining us, nothing any man or woman says can bring the ultimate light of clarity and release!   WE HAVE WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL. We all face seasons of change that correspond much like the four seasons we observe yearly. Nothing is more surprising than to have an interruption of what we anticipate to be what is "normal" for an earthly expectation, in one of those seasons. When a sudden ice storm blows in unexpected in the late spring and encrusts the tender blooms on fruit trees and garden plants, we are devastated by the loss of not only the blooms, but also the fruit it could have produced. It appears as if there has been a cruel storm, sent to cause crop failure.   UPHEAVAL. LOSS. DISAPPOINTMENT.  For many listening to or reading this message, you feel as if you have experienced a "Crop failure", perhaps several, and just can’t take one more aching disappointment.  Many hearts have passed their tender agonies on to me on paper, in emails and through the telephone.   ANGUISH HAS ITS OWN PERFUME I have also heard the whispers of the voices of darkness try to entice, with wearisome words of worry, paranoia and doubting! "Give up!" they say!  “What good is this time of shaking doing?" "What possible good can come out of believing that there is something occurring that will bring a fresh and healthy  move of God’s goodness, when all seems to have stalled or strained?"   In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul lists the works of the 'flesh' (“sinful nature”).   In the middle he mentions “idolatry, sorcery” (NKJV) or “idolatry and witchcraft” (NIV).   THE CONTROL CONNECTION! This is our fallen, rebellious, sinful nature. And if not brutally dealt with - this insidious root can deceive even the Christian believer if he of she is not transparent before God and is in humble, healthy and mature relational accountability to other members in the Body of Christ!  (Not easy to do…but healthy!) But real godly accountability must be vulnerable at all times, wise in listening to advice, and not selective about what things WE want to be accountable for or not.    “Delicatessen Accountability” is not going to bless your life,  and it will frustrate your family and friends to tears.     HUMILITY HAS NO PROBLEM EXPOSING ITSELF. It’s a natural outpouring of what is in the heart of a true follower when put under the pressure of the test of exposure.   NOTICE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS THAT SOME BELIEVERS  OPENLY CONFESSED THEIR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER!   Acts 19:18 says,  “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.”   AND AGAIN IN THE BOOK OF JAMES, ALL BELIEVERS ARE URGED TO CONFESS THEIR SINS  HUMBLY TO ONE ANOTHER, AND ALLOW THEM  TO BE PRAYED FOR AND HEALED OF HIDDEN WRONGDOING!   James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”     So! What’s The Definition of ACCOUNTABILITY?  Accountability - noun responsibility."  Liability, answerability :  the quality or state of being accountable;  especially,  an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions   THIS NATURE OF THE FLESH OFTEN MANIFESTS ITSELF,  EVEN IN INFANCY, IN EFFORTS TO CONTROL OTHER PEOPLE!  We feel secure if we can control others. Then they do not threaten us!  They do what WE want!     GOD, ON THE OTHER HAND… …NEVER SEEKS TO CONTROL US. He respects the free will He has given to each of us, although He does hold us responsible for how we use that freedom.   THERE ARE THREE WAYS THE DESIRE TO CONTROL OTHERS EXPRESSES ITSELF:   ☑ MANIPULATION ☑ INTIMIDATION ☑ DOMINATION   THE GOAL IS DOMINATION! People who recognize that they are weaker than those they seek to control, tend to manipulate. Those who feel stronger tend to intimidate.  But the end purpose is the same:  TO DOMINATE -  meaning…. … To control others and get them to do what we want.   MANY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS PORTRAY THIS. Husbands intimidate their wives by fits of rage or actual violence. Wives manipulate their husbands by tears and hurt feelings, and often making them feel guilty for their shortcomings.  Parents frequently intimidate or manipulate their children.  But, alternatively, children can become extremely good at manipulating their parents.   ONE MAIN TOOL OF MANIPULATION … … IS GUILT. Once we learn to recognize the desire to control others as an evil, manipulative force, we will see it at work in many different areas.   ONCE WE RECOGNIZE THESE DEVICES ARE  DISGUISES OF REBELLION, WE REALIZE  THAT IN OUR CONTEMPORARY AND POST MODERN CULTURE  WE ARE BEING EXPOSED CONTINUALLY TO ITS PRESSURE!      This sure gives new meaning to Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that says,  “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers”.  People who are in the habit of using manipulation or intimidation to control others will be taken over by a deceitful spirit masquerading itself in many cloaked forms, often shifting it's present behavior or mask, in order to influence others to THEIR  WAY way of thinking.  This is still a form of evil.  After that they will be unable to relate to anyone apart from these tactics. “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” -Proverbs 28:13   “Then I acknowledged my sin to you,  And did not cover up my wrongdoing. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "- And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”  Selah. -Psalm 32:5     EVERY PERSON MUST MEET THE CONDITIONS FOR BEING SET FREE Psalm 38:18 says “I confess my wrongdoing; I am troubled by my sin.”   ON ONE SIDE, THE PERSON EXERCISING CONTROL MUST REPENT AND RENOUNCE HIS OR HER DESIRE TO CONTROL. ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE PERSON BEING CONTROLLED MUST REPENT OF SUBMITTING TO SUCH CONTROL. (This does not mean necessarily a separation from the relationship… but a healthy detaching from 'being controlled' as the relationship functions.  Fear is at work underneath this structure… fear of man…etc.)   FEAR OF MAN. What IS That? It is obvious that we must fear God rather than man. If we fear man more than God, we will displease God most of the time, because man's ways are usually opposite of God's.   THE WORD "FEAR" MEANS TO "TREMBLE". The fear of man may be evident by someone being overly fashion-conscious, needing to be noticed for their trendy appearance. Other forms of having the fear of man is being easily embarrassed (even when doing right), being quick to defend ourselves (with lies, if need be), the telling of grandiose or constant lies and deceptions to gain honor from others, by pretending to understand when we don't, by giving compliments which we don't mean, by pretending to agree when we should disagree, by avoiding giving criticisms and warnings even when necessary. AND, here’s a big one. Gaslighting or planting suspicious seeds about someone else in order to appear more credible or spiritual to peers.  Oh the insidious nature of the flesh!    OBVIOUSLY, A MAN-FEARER WILL NOT ONLY DISPLEASE GOD,  BUT WILL ALSO ULTIMATELY BE CONSIDERED TOTALLY UNSTABLE AND UNTRUSTWORTHY BY OTHERS - BECAUSE HE OR SHE WILL CHANGE THEIR MIND AS SOON AS THEY FACE SOMEONE ELSE.   In other words, the "honor" that they receive is only a momentary acknowledgement for "convenience" provided by their man-pleasing deed.  ➡️ Man-fearers are "used" and then despised. ⬅️ Besides… …WHO KNOWS WHEN A "MAN-FEARER" MAY TURN AGAINST YOU, AND "SLAY" YOU, SO THEY CAN OBTAIN HONOR FROM OTHER MEN OR WOMEN?   Look at the way politicians cave in under pressure due to the fear of man and loosing face in front of the “Big MONEY OR INFLUENCER People”! EVEN if a man-fearer was loved by another, he or she is not loved, but actually his/her “pretended-self” is the "one" that is loved.   WHAT GOOD IS HAVING FEAR OF GOD AT WORK IN OUR LIVES?  PROVERBS 9: 10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"   The word 'fear" means to "reverence". One who fears God is more concerned about what God thinks than what men think. (ACTS 4:19)  The result of this fear, this reverence is a single-minded obedience to God'

    29 min

  3. Jan 21

    "You Are Seen - You Are Of Great Value - You Are His."

    By Mary Lindow   I welcome you all to this podcast and it’s going to be a very tender and special podcast. Especially during this time right now where the world is in upheaval and so many things are going on in the church, with so many further exposures of deviant acts, monetary gambling as it were, and just inappropriate and criminal activity, and then it being covered up. It can be a lot to have to just navigate… … and of course to process.   We’re going to look at something more precious and tender, which is the fact that the Lord “Sees us”. He wants you to know he sees YOU individually as his unique and beautiful creation.   So! I want to bring up the subject, “What Is A Sparrow?” The scripture talks about that the Heavenly Father even cares about the sparrows even though they’re really pretty common and a little non-descriptive. They’re not bright little birds. They’re just kind of dull in color, kind of a dove gray.   But you know what? THE SPARROW IS A CLEVER LITTLE BIRD In Psalm 84 David describes his longing to be with the people of God and in the actual moment that he wrote this, he was a wanderer. He was a fugitive. He was not able to be in a place where he could have fellowship with God or other people, and this is when he wrote Psalm 84. It says, 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.   Have you ever felt this way or longed for fellowship like David wrote about with the Lord? His word so clearly expresses what it meant to David. Then, he remembered one of his bird watching experiences. He remembered how at one time when he was in the house of God, he looked up toward the altar and he noticed some movement. When he looked closer, he found a sparrow building her nest, so he wrote in verse 3: “Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may have her young—a place near your altar.”   “Lord Almighty, my King and my God!” he said. “I wish I could be like that sparrow. I wish I could be like that swallow that is able to build its nest at the very altar of God.”   What David is saying here is, “Can you think of anything better than to have your home in the altar of God in the sanctuary?” This is something so very precious to me because I am always so tremendously interested in nurturing and loving my family and my grandchildren, that I cannot pass this over. Did you notice this swallow chose the altar of God to build a nest for her family?  She could have chosen any place to build a nest, but she chose the altar of God. Yes! The sparrow is a clever bird.   BUILDING YOUR NEST IN THE SANCTUARY OF GOD I believe that things are put here for a reason and for instruction, so I am going to suggest that if you want your family to be all that God wants it to be, build your nest, (metaphorically speaking), at the altar. Build your nest in the sanctuary because in the sanctuary, is the answer to every question that you have. And I hope that you understand that I am not talking about a church building! I am talking about your fellowship with God. There must also, always be room in your nest to include those with broken wings, or who have been abandoned or left as orphans.   A SPARROW IS VALUABLE! One more lovely thing about the sparrow. The sparrow is a valuable bird. I am sure that some people might question this statement! But it is a valuable bird, indeed. Some may say, “But not to man”!  It is Valuable to God though!   I am sure the Lord did some bird watching as he travelled to places with his dear friends, but this particular instance that He records is in the temple. As He went into the temple one day, He saw a whole bunch of sparrows, (remember that we are talking about a small bird) with their legs tied together, and they were being sold for a sacrifice in the temple. In Matthew, chapter 10 notice what Jesus has to say about sparrows. As He looked at those sparrows, He said, in verse 29: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?”   That was the least expensive offering that anybody could make! If we were to stop there, we would say what we ordinarily say, “What is a sparrow? They are not worth anything at all,” but the Lord said, in the last part of verse 29: …And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing about it.   That is how valuable they are. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing about it.   WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU SEE A DEAD SPARROW? Do you just kick it out of the way and go on?   Often we see someone much like the little dead sparrow, wounded or suffering from the cruelty of others too busy to really care about a “broken wing” or perhaps a broken heart. So many are busy licking their own wounds and getting on with their own lives, that they are unaware of the “sparrows” that God has placed in their midst. Those who need to be invited into a place of “Sanctuary”! Do you treat your employees like this or a friend who has been through a season of sorrow or loss? Do you find yourself simply walking past the Wounded or “dead Sparrow”? That would be a normal reaction, but evidently when the Lord saw the sparrow that fell, he felt very differently.   He said, “MY FATHER KNOWS ABOUT THAT SPARROW… …And my Father cares about it.”   Then notice what He says: Matthew 10:30 “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.   A SPARROW IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD, …that it doesn't fall to the ground without God knowing about it, and you and those whom He has placed around you to radiate truth and hope to, are of more value than many sparrows. In Matthew, chapter 6, I think that Lord has done some bird watching and might want us to do some as well! Because… …He said: Matthew 6:26-34 26 "Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30 I clothe the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even surer that I will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 31 Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own."   That last part of verse 26…. …It asks such a beautiful and piercing question. “And do you not know that you are worth much more than the birds?”   Or in another translation is asks, “Are you not of more value than they?    In other words, if God cares this much about a sparrow, about a bird, how much more then does He care about you?    Think about it:  We are the Crown Jewel of His creation.  We are made in His image!  We see what He has made in nature alone and then think, “Wow, even mankind is elevated above all of that.  God you really are amazing.  God you really do love us!”  If our response is not adoration and praise, we need to check our hearts and see God once again for Who He is.    A very well spoken and eloquent preacher said one time, “There is never a sparrow that dies but that God goes to its funeral.”   This really touched my heart and impressed me. Not a sparrow dies, but that God.. … goes to its funeral.   THE NEXT TIME THAT YOU SEE A SPARROW… …Remember that God is paying attention to that little sparrow. God is interested in you and He is interested and concerned about me as well! Remember that God cares about you so much more than even that sparrow, and that He wants to draw you closely into a safe place of Sanctuary with Him!  A place of safety and peace, where you can rest and learn about His love for you, for your family and those dear close friends and perhaps a few lost or weary lonely souls that He has sent to you.   In such vulnerable moments we need to take heart to the words of 2 Chronicles 16:9 It says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro (or back and forth) throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” King David tenderly expressed this reality when he wrote, “Keep me as the apple of Your eye [that means, the pupil or center of your vision]; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 17:8).   Truly, we need to know we are not alone. I hope you will never again look at a sparrow in quite the same way. We’re even told in Psalm 84:3-4 that sparrows and swallows find a home and nest at the altars of the Lord, at the tabernacle, at temple of God, and how much more so should we! Here’s a little observation assignment for you: Watch a little bird. And when you do, stay focused for a while. Yes, focus, and realize that God is looking at you, even more intently in that very same moment. After all, people are like sparrows in being noticed and cared for by God, yet in an even greater way.   But mark this difference in your observing: You will move on in a world that doesn’t stop, but God never takes His eyes off of you. God deeply cares for you a

    19 min

  4. 12/24/2025

    "The Cry That Broke The Silence" - EMMANUEL "God-With-Us"

    By Mary Lindow AS I PREPARE THIS PODCAST OUR HOME HAS THE AROMA OF BANANA BREAD FILLING THE AIR WITH A COZY WARMTH. Soft Carols are playing in the background. My dear Steve has gone bed for now. He’s been working on a carpentry project for my Christmas present.   AS I SIT HERE, MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE MOVED WITH TENDERNESS FOR THOSE WHO ARE GRIEVING over the recent miscarriage of a 22 week old baby, a friend who has had a sudden death of a family member, those friends of mine tending to the sick and fragile, and for the widows I know, who ache for the arms of the one they loved so well for so long. My heart is saddened by the weariness of knowing single friends of Steve and I are longing for rest and still have hopes of meeting another godly person who might be the one to nurture and live them. ALL OF THE KINDNESSES AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS OF CHRISTMAS, truly, when wrapped up in compassion, outreach to those who are hurting, personal sacrifice so that others may thrive, and with discernment to know when these things are God nudging you, this is what makes the true value of Christmas shine.   CHRIST CAME TO GIVE. He came to give all. To tend to all those that were held captive, to set them free, to open the eyes of the blinded and the cerebral intellectuals who refuse to hear the truth. But yet, HE came! And HE is still speaking today, still pursuing those who run from him.   WHEN GOD BREATHED THE BREATH OF LIFE INTO EVERY HUMAN BEING... ...IT WAS HIS BREATH   As long as there is breath in a human, it is the breath of God. God will pursue every human being, regardless of how they feel towards him. This is the love that came down at Christmas. And this is the love that stays. People can run. But they cannot hide from the light of God.   AS I SHARE THIS BRIEF BUT WARM AND HEARTFELT PODCAST WITH YOU, I wanted to share something so profoundly, beautiful and so well spoken. I’ve read over and meditated/ pondered it many times during this Christmas season because there have been disappointments! There have has been betrayals, harsh words, indifference, people pushing you away because they can’t receive the love you offer them. These are the things Jesus experienced on a regular basis, and yet in his perfection, he continued to pursue the will of God in his life, and eventually, it COST him his life!   THAT LITTLE, WEE BABE IN THE MANGER TROUGH, He was filled with the fullness of God and was God, but chose to walk out in human flesh, incarnate, the life of everyday human beings, in order to prove that he was aware of the suffering and the sorrows of this human life in a fallen world.   AS I SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION FROM ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL BY THE NAME OF JESSICA JECKER, (who is an influencer on another social media site), I hope that you will allow it to saturate any part of you that is suffering or that is resisting love, or, is perhaps angry at God, questioning why life is so hard, or where you may have become bitter and hardened to the tenderness that is available to each of us.   LISTEN CLOSELY TO THE CRY OF MALACHI AND WHAT GOD‘S WORD SPOKE. Listen to the words of one pondering the beauty and the fierce sacrifice that Jesus so humbly and willingly yielded to so that we might truly celebrate a Savior. HERE IT IS: “This week, I lingered in the final breath of Malachi’s words and I felt the unbearable weight of what followed. When the prophet finished speaking, heaven did not answer. The echo of his voice faded...and then... nothing. Four hundred years of silence. No open vision. No burning word. No prophet rising with fire in his bones. No “Thus says the Lord” breaking the darkness. Four hundred years of waiting. Of longing. Of groaning. Of hearts lifted toward heaven that seemed sealed shut. Generation after generation was born into the quiet. They lived. They died. And still—no voice. Until one night. On a dirt floor in a forgotten place... in a stable that did not look holy... in the shadows of obscurity and insignificance... a sound was released. After four hundred years, heaven spoke again— Not with thunder, not with fire, not from a mountain- but from the lungs of a newborn. A cry pierced the silence. A cry that split history in two. A cry that carried eternity within it. In that moment, the King of Glory stepped down into the dust of His own creation. The Eternal wrapped Himself in skin. The Word became flesh—and cried. The Son laid aside His throne and chose a manger. Heaven’s highest treasure placed in a feeding trough. He came low. He came meek. He came breakable. Wrapped in swaddling cloths, laid where animals ate, born beneath the looming shadow of a cross. A Lamb born to be slain. The Hope of a hopeless world breathed His first breath in the dark. A weary world rejoiced as a young virgin labored and delivered its redemption. In that manger, the Great I AM made Himself vulnerable. Touchable. Killable. And with one holy cry, the silence was shattered. The separation was broken. The way was opened. Then, suddenly, heaven could not remain quiet. The skies erupted with angelic voices declaring, “Glory to God in the highest!” Wonderful. Counselor. Mighty God! Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. With the cry of an infant, heaven invaded earth. Behold—our Redeemer. Behold—our King. Behold—the fulfillment of every promise. Behold—the sound that broke four hundred years of silence. Not the roar of an army. Not the shout of a king claiming His crown. But the fragile cry of God-with-us. He did not arrive with a sword in His hand, but with nails already written into His future. He did not enter wrapped in royalty, but in cloths that foretold a burial. The silence was not just broken, it was answered. Every unanswered prayer. Every tear cried into the dark. Every generation that waited without seeing. Every promise that seemed delayed but not denied. All of it converged in that single cry. That night, heaven did not just speak- heaven gave. God did not send another prophet. He did not send another sign. He sent Himself. And in that stable, eternity took its first shallow breath. Omnipotence learned weakness. Glory learned humility. Love made itself small. The cry that shattered the silence would one day be echoed again- not from a manger, but from a cross. The first cry said, “He has come.” The final cry would say, “It is finished.” From swaddling cloths to grave clothes, from a feeding trough to a borrowed tomb, He came to be broken so we could be made whole. And even now, that sound still reverberates. It calls the weary. It awakens the forgotten. It reaches into the places where heaven has felt silent again. If God could speak through the cry of a baby, He can still break silence in our darkest night. So behold Him. Not distant. Not untouchable. Not unmoved.   But Emmanuel. God.  With. Us."   SUCH TREMENDOUS AND EXPRESSIVE WORDS!   DEAR PERSON, WHO MAY BE LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST OR READING IT IN PRINTED FORM. Talk to Jesus. Cry. Ask Him to show you his love, his true self, his kindness. His merciful forgiveness. He’s listening.   LET’S PRAY BEFORE I END THIS PODCAST. "Heavenly Father, For Those Who Are Lonely This Christmas, I Pray That You Would Surround Them With Your Presence. Let Them Feel Your Nearness. Bring People Into Their Lives Who Can Offer Companionship and Comfort. Help Them To Know That Even When They Feel Alone, Abandoned or Weary That They Are Never Truly Alone Because You Are Always With Them. Heal the Wounds That the Holidays Have Opened. Replace Sorrow With Your Joy, Despair With Your Hope, and Loneliness With the Knowledge That You Will Never Leave Us or Forsake Us. Thank You That Jesus Came To Heal the Brokenhearted and to Bind up our Deep Wounds From Life on Planet Earth. I Trust You To Do That Work in my Life and in the Lives of all Who Are Hurting This Christmas. Father, This Christmas I Celebrate the Birth of my Savior With a Grateful Heart. Help Me To Never Get Over the Wonder of the Gospel, Never Stop Being Amazed That You Loved Me Enough To Send Jesus. May my Life Be a Living Thank-You Note for the Gift You Gave at Christmas—the Gift of Your Son, my Savior and my King. In the Comforting Name of Jesus, Amen."   I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST! I know that we are fast approaching that day we celebrate and give gifts and just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the season, but, I know many people suffer during this time and, Jesus is there with you. He’s understands you’re suffering and he understands where you’re stuck. I encourage you to not hold onto those things that you want to manage or control or that you think, “This is just the way it’s going to, be it’s always been this way.” That is fatalistic thinking and it’s really actually ungodly. It’s an attitude that says, “I will control my destiny, and... I have control over my life because nobody else can help me.”   I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SOFTEN, TO TENDERIZE YOUR HEART BEFORE THE LORD IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, and as you listen to Christmas carols and hear the words of “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come, Let Earth Receive her King and Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room.” That means it’s up to us to “prepare room” in our hearts to receive what the king has for us. All the things the King has for us. Some of it is discipline. Some of it is change. Some of it is repenting for just being angry , and some of it is walking in fear. Know this, that if we will prepare a room for him to come in and live and dwell, we can enjoy His presence in a greater way with us during this season and into the next year.   I’M GOING TO CLOSE OUT FOR NOW AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LISTENING! I want to thank those of you who have been so kind to support and assist me. Honestly, I am just so

    17 min

  5. 11/30/2025

    “God Is Fully With Us In These Strange Days”

    “God Is Fully With Us In These Strange Days”   By Mary Lindow   Just over 2,000 years ago, Emmanuel, also called the Christ, changed the world.  In that moment when God became flesh, humanity watched prophecies unfold as hope was born. Jesus, our Emmanuel, provided hope that sin and death wouldn’t always win and mankind wouldn’t always feel so painfully alone.    What Does Emmanuel Mean in the Bible? It’s a word written on countless Christmas cards and sung in some of our most-loved carols.  In Scripture, it first appears in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14, which says,    “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign;  The virgin will conceive, and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Emmanuel”.   The Lord Himself will do this, Scripture says.  In other words, this act, which occurred in the birth of Christ, was God-ordained and God-accomplished.    This points to grace, which doesn’t come through human effort but rather through relying on God to do what we humans cannot. This was the reason Christ came.    God GAVE us this child, named Emmanuel, which literally means,  “with us is God,” or “God WITH us.”    He may seem distant.  It may even seem impossible this year for you to feel hopeful.  You might have lost your job.  Or maybe you’re feeling isolated from those you love.  You may have even grieved the loss of a family member or friend.   Though he may have felt far away to them,  God was so much closer than his people knew — gently planning Jesus’ entrance into the world in the most unexpected way.   Looking around, all you might be able to see right now is darkness.  If you try to adjust your eyes, blinking into the night, there seems to be no light.  The weight of sickness, death, injustice and pain perhaps, seem too heavy.   That’s why I love this idea of advent which is practiced only among Christians.  And yes, it comes from probably a more liturgical view, but has been so embraced and now practice in homes and church gatherings across the world, as families gather to contemplate and to pray and to spend quiet time discussing when Jesus came as a child as the Messiah!  Emmanuel!!! God WITH Us!     Advent means "coming" or "arrival" and refers to the Christian season that begins four Sundays before Christmas, where focusing on preparation for the celebration of Jesus's birth and his anticipated return is a beautiful thing! It’s definitely better than the commercial glut of constant “buy, buy, buy,” and, the overkill of sappy fantasy Christmas shows, as well as the pressurized giving of gifts to every boss, coworker, friend and pet!  It’s a time of expectation, reverence and hope for many Christians!   I was reading through a Wycliffe advent devotional last evening, and these words so struck me that I’m going to share them with you trusting that they too, will move your heart to remember that Emmanuel, God …. IS with us!  No matter what may come   This excerpt of the devotional said, “As we enter the Advent season, do you feel weary? You’re not alone. Or maybe you’re just tired. Numb. Ready to pull the covers over your head and try this whole "Christmas cheer" thing again next year.    Don’t feel guilty.  Instead, acknowledge the very real darkness of this world and you’ll have eyes to see Advent through the same lens as the people waiting for a Messiah thousands of years ago. You could even say that being weary and worn out is an acceptable place from which to approach this Advent season. Because Advent exists to remind us that, while darkness surrounds us and troubles exist, the hope of Christmas isn’t far away.   The people of Israel hadn’t heard anything from God about their redeemer.  God’s chosen people must have cried out to him, asking how long it would be before their hope, their salvation, would arrive!  It was too dark, and God seemed to be silent.    Has he felt that way to you this year? Silent? Though he may have felt far away to them, God was so much closer than his people knew —gently planning Jesus’ entrance into the world in the most unexpected way.   But at the appointed time, Jesus came — God with us in flesh and blood. Born in Bethlehem, carried to Egypt, raised in Nazareth. Son of Man and Son of God. A humble child and a holy King. Worshiped by some, rejected by many. Fully human, yet eternally divine.”     What beautiful and raw honesty in those words in that excerpt from the devotional!   Friends! Any way you look at it, Emmanuel was a living Divine Grace.  The infinite King, wrapped in the cloth of an infant.  The holy One, living among the fallen.  In Him, the impossible became real, not only in prophecy, but in His very presence.    When God stepped into our world,  “impossible” lost all meaning.     In Isaiah 42:16 it says, “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not;  I will lead them in paths that they have not known:  I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.  These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”      Dear believer!  The darkness of this world has always tried encroach upon the joy and the hope of God being with his people.  It hates that we cling to the light, and even though we cannot see or understand, everything fully about the ONE who came and paid the price for us, yet we abandoned our own hearts to him, trusting that he will guide and light our path. It is in this practice that all of hell must bow its knee and tremble for the very fact that Christ is in us and he is the hope of glory.  Someday we will return to the ONE who created us, but for now, he has come to walk with us, to be with us, and his Holy Spirit is here to correct, to guide, to convict and to advocate for us.    Let us cry out, “Oh Come! Oh Come Emmanuel! Oh come God! Be with us, in us, and move through us to help others who are trapped in the darkness!”   Let’s take time to pray together about all of this right now. Lord God, only you can see into our hearts and know that under all the busy-ness of our lives , there is a deep longing to make this season one that welcomes you more deeply into our own lives.   Our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds search for your Light in the midst of the darkness. Help us to be peacemakers this season and to give special love to those who disagree with us. Please, Give us the strength and courage to forgive those who have hurt us or who treat us dismissively. Help us to free our hearts from the prison of anger and hurt. Only you Lord can bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us rest in this weary world. We thank you for being a God that IS  with us! Amen.   Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed As long as the complete message, website and podcast  information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright © 2025   " THE MESSENGER "  - "The Advocate of Hope"  Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com PODCAST   If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs,  or  desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To:  His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614  USA    Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow  Under the name of - Mary Lindow His Beloved Ministries Inc.    ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.   We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985.  THANK YOU!       👆🏽 Want to  know about what Steve and Mary Lindow are Involved with in Serving Jesus? CLICK THE PICTURE!

    15 min

  6. 11/07/2025

    HUMILITY vs. PRIDE - AND THE SPIRITUAL FORCES THAT RAGE AGAINST THE SOUL

    By Mary Lindow “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, But with humility comes wisdom.” -Proverbs 11:2   WHEN THE SOUL GOES THROUGH HUMBLING EXPERIENCES We all know that there are times when the soul goes through humbling experiences. Perhaps in the past you had strength, calm, security and confidence, and then all of that suddenly gets stripped and your soul sees itself and it's true state of desperate need.  If you are alert you will recognize that the Lord is opening our eyes to secret pride. That internal thinking that all of our achievement is of our own doing and not purely a gift from above. Yes, these times come so it will never occur to us again that we are stronger in spirit than anyone else! If we look up on any other person as weaker, it is only because we have not been taken through the purging fire of God completely. Perhaps this is what's happening to someone we know, and it's no business of ours to preen our feathers of “goodness” while they are being refined and challenged. On the other side of that coin, God wants for us to have an open and humble spirit, realizing that if we were in their position we may not handle the circumstances as well, and might actually do worse!   THIS HUMBLING PROCESS IS IN GOD’S HANDS It is his way of raising in your heart, a new love for all of mankind. In the past you may have judged others either for their pride, or for being in personal difficulties.  Even worse, you may have seen others who are lukewarm or weak in their faith and compared it with your own strong devotion and enthusiasm for God. God is merciful and he shows us all of our own places of emptiness. Allowing us to go through humbling experiences is how He knocks this out of the seat of our own “judgment” which is His seat alone! He wants us to keep our eyes on our own response to what we know He wants us to do, so that we remain in a place of simple obedience to Him.   "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy one understands." -Proverbs 9:10    WE ARE ON A HUMBLE SPIRITUAL ROAD David stood in the presence of wicked men (Samuel chapter 16:5-6 and 9-10) and there he was wondering why the Lord put up with their evil behavior while he was going through such anguish in his own life! But he still prayed and said,  “I will watch my ways so I may not sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth shut as if it were tied with ropes, while the sinful are near me.” –Psalm 39:1   When David finally saw how limited and small that his own viewpoint was, he continued to say, “I remained silent and I wasn't about to open my mouth because you Lord are the one who allowed this!”   This is a humble condition much like David's that the Lord will bring our souls to as we are on this humble, spiritual road,  He says to you and I that He longs to help you to be submitted to His hand alone, obedient to His voice alone!  We are not to resist Him!  We are not really serving Him and our brothers and sisters if we've taken the high seat above them. When the Lord begins to work this way of tenderness in our hearts we must listen to what He says no matter what or WHOM He allows to bring the message through. In the past, arrogance has been the measuring stick where many would only receive teaching and correction, from someone THEY thought was worthy to DARE speak to them!  Those days are over. “If you have jealousy in your heart and fight to have many things, do not be proud of it.  Do not lie against the truth." -James 3:14   WE MUST CLEARLY SEE THAT CORRUPTION CAN RAPIDLY OCCUR IN ANY PERSON OR ANY GROUP, ORGANIZED, RELAXED, OR OTHERWISE,when the tendency to think that they have arrived at a new or deeper revelation about something more so than others who perhaps express the Lord's voice differently.   ARROGANCE IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT I, INDIVIDUALLY, OR SOME GROUP THAT I AM A PART OF, COLLECTIVELY, IS SOMEHOW SUPERIOR TO SOMEONE ELSE OR SOME OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE.   AT THE HEART OF ARROGANCE IS SELF-CENTEREDNESS. And, self-centeredness is the foundation of human sin. I believe any serious attempt at self-examination by an honest person will reveal that we humans are sinful and flawed beyond measure. Paul writes, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand…Wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of death?”   WE ARE CONSUMED BY SELF. And every time we arrogantly place our own needs before others we are enslaved by sin.   WHAT SHOULD WE DO? HOW SHOULD WE LIVE INSTEAD OF IN THAT ARROGANT MODE? WHAT IS THE ANTIDOTE?   How about the words of Jesus? What did he say? "Everyone who exalts himself (for example, "Aren't I great? Aren't I right? Don't I always have the best opinion?") will be humbled.   But, he who humbles himself (for example, "This is my opinion but it may not be right. I don't have a corner on the market of truth.") will be exalted."   THE LORD IS NOT SPEEDING UP THE DELIVERY OF ANY "FRESH THING" IN THE EARTH IN ORDER TO GET US TO HIS PURPOSES QUICKLY. No. He is testing the hearts of men and women everywhere, looking for humility, selflessness, and honor, for those who although not perfect, have also served and pointed the way to salvation for many years previously.   THE LORD IS NOT GOING TO HONOR THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SHOUTS THAT "CHANGE IS NEEDED" OR THAT "CHANGE IS COMING" AND THEN SLASHES AND BURNS ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T EMBRACE THEIR VERSION OF IT.     THE LORD IS INTERESTED IN THE EVIDENCE OF HUMILITY AND THE EVIDENCE OF GRACE. These key character issues attract the pure and simple Presence of the Lord. Blessed are the PURE in heart...for they shall see God. Until the Body of Christ that has been through many difficult and shattering events, rids itself of bitter and venomous words against one another and accepts that each one like sheep have gone astray and turned to what pleased them at the moment, there will be little evidence of much harvest .   THE LOST AND CONFUSED WORLD OUT THERE WATCHES CHRISTIANS TEAR EACH OTHER TO SHREDS DAILY AND WONDERS WHY WE ARE ASKING THEM TO JOIN US! Remember Christ’s two great commandments—love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself.   SELF-CENTEREDNESS IS THE REVERSAL OF THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. Self-centeredness means to place ourselves first, in effect proclaiming our own form of self-government (not needing or wanting the advice or insight of others), therefore our neighbors become an afterthought, and God becomes simply a convenience to be considered only when it’s helpful to us. It is evident even in our language that self-centeredness is woven into the fabric of the human experience.   THE ONE TRUE SACRIFICIAL MODEL TOLD US THAT HE WOULD SEND THE VERY SPIRIT OF GOD IN ORDER TO CONVICT ALL PEOPLE OF SIN, TO COMFORT, TO GUIDE, AND TO SET THEM FREE.  Indeed. The very evidence of a redemptive type of life, is in one who washes the feet of his/her brothers and his/her enemies in an act of cleansing the dirt from the road of life off of the pathway to the Truth. May we truly hear the sound of the unmistakable heartbeat of a redemptive model rising up in clear resounding purity, personal transparency, and in the covering of the multitude of sins by speaking and meditating only on those things that are noble, just, pure, and of a good report.   AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS NATIONS, THE ANTIDOTE TO ARROGANCE AND SELF-CENTEREDNESS IS A HEAVY DOSE OF HUMILITY. That is; a profound willingness to recognize the value, and respect the dignity of every human life. And, furthermore, a humble heart calls us to seek and serve Christ in ALL persons by giving of ourselves willingly for the welfare of other people.   THE LORD SAYS, "Do not let a wise man brag about how wise he is. Do not let a strong man boast about how strong he is. Do not let  a rich person brag about how rich he is. But here is what the one who brags should boast about. He should brag that he has understanding and knows me. I want him to know that I am the Lord. No matter what I do on earth, I am always kind, fair and right. And I take delight in that," announces the Lord. JEREMIAH 9:23-24 (New International Reader's Version)     WE MUST HAVE EARS THAT ARE OPEN TO HIS VOICE ALONE  We can enjoy the extreme value of knowing that we must be under the direction of our matchless Lord.  Remember that He may use anyone, however unpleasing to the eye, unintelligent, or, not so affluent! When you see they may be able to teach you and direct you on your way, it is because of the attraction and Divine beauty they have in their lives from honoring the Lord. It’s that they are truly humble, not simply by saying it - but by literally BEING humble.    HEEDING ANOTHER VOICE OF PROMISE AND PROMOTION?  The Lord has impressed me to share that some have heeded "another voice", one who would put them up, on the pinnacle of the world and promise them all power and wealth if they but, “just bow down”. The Lord wants you to know, (although I tremble at even delivering this), that many have already bent one knee downward to hopefully obtain a bit of blessing from “both sides.” Get up and RUN from deception and self-indulgence, blatant lying, and entitlement! You can be sure that using people or spiritual metaphors or “things” just for what you can get out of them—the typical indicators of idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the Kingdom of Christ.  You have been taken in and spoiled by religious and deceptive smooth talk. The Lord is furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but who really want nothing to do with Him. You have groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the ope

    25 min

  7. 08/04/2025

    "WOLVES IN THE PULPIT" - Laura Lynn Thompson Interviewing Mary Lindow

    "WOLVES IN THE PULPIT" Laura Lynn Thompson Interviewing Mary Lindow   God sees beyond outward appearances  and focuses on the heart and intentions  of individuals, as stated in 1 Samuel 16:7  "For the Lord sees not as man sees;  man looks on the outward appearance,  but the Lord looks on the heart."    This emphasizes the importance of  inner qualities over external traits.   Hello there Brothers and Sisters!  Today’s podcast is a little bit different.  I’m going to be sharing with you a link that you can click on in the picture above in the podcast.  LINK:➡️  Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson And Guest Mary Lindow "WOLVES IN THE PULPIT" I was asked and had the privilege to be on a Christian broadcasting program on YouTube with Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson out of Canada. Laura Lynn has been a really wonderful blessing to the Body of Christ for years. She was a CBN host in Canada for many years, did other broadcasting work, and she has had the courage after having known of the Daystar network coverup of the abuse of a child from staff members, Laura Lynn was one of the first people to step back and say, “I will no longer broadcast my show on the program as long as the cover-up remains, and that the abuse allegations have not been properly vetted and handled.” She now has her own program and has been interviewing people from across the world, as well as having a lot of interviews behind the scenes with victims of abuse, victims who have been SA'd or harmed in the church, and by other predators in ministry organizations.  Laura Lynn received hundreds of phone calls from people wanting to tell their stories, and on this current program she asked me to be a guest/interviewee.  We talked about wolves in the pulpit. I looked at it from the angle of having been a woman in ministry for many years and the unfortunate accounts of inappropriate actions taken towards me as a woman. Also, we discussed current events of many cases taking place in the church and broadly across many denominations of unbelievable stories of abuse taking place that are now in major court cases.  I also discussed biblically and from a Christian counselor‘s viewpoint: What this looks like  How we address it How we help people  and  What we do when we find out there has been a tragic and heinous expression of harm done to children, to women, to young boys.   So! Without further explanation, I’m going to go ahead and let that program be something you can click on and look at.   (Click this link to go directly to the recorded version of the show. ) Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson And Guest Mary Lindow "WOLVES IN THE PULPIT"   I am not able to put an audio version of this on my program due to the fact that Laura Lynn has copyright laws and I want to respect that this is a copyrighted program.    If you will click the link, it will take you immediately over to the program and I think you will enjoy this and you will learn some things.   Laura Lynn is a fierce advocate to protect people in the church from not only just abuse that can happen in a sexual  nature, but also spiritual abuse and all kinds of harm that can come to place when we have wolves in the pulpit, or, when we have predators in our children’s ministries.   So! Without further explanation, I ask you to go ahead and click that link and I hope to have it up on my website. It should be underneath my podcasts. My website is at www. Marylindow.com.  I want to let you know I was not in anyway compensated to do this interview.  This was to give voice to the victims who have been abused.   I love you all and I thank those of you that I have graciously supporting me! I couldn’t do what I do without you.  I know that the Lord will bless you for your kindness towards me!    So without further ado, I say goodbye and I look forward to the next podcast!  But! Please click the link to go listen to this very important and Informative Video program. Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete message, podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright 2025  "THE MESSENGER" - The Advocate Of Hope  ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com PODCAST LINK Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts, Inspirational Videos and Audio Messages. THANK YOU! Please go to PAYPAL to donate  or support this blog:  Donate to the tax-deductible ministry name of:  paypal.me/mlindow    (His Beloved Ministries Inc.)  Or  You Can Mail a Check or Cashiers Check to:  His Beloved Ministries INC  PO Box 1253  Eastlake CO 80614  United States THANK YOU! ⇪ Would you like to know more about Steve and Mary Lindow?  Click the picture.

    5 min

  8. 07/22/2025

    "Creation Groans - We Groan - The Holy Spirit Groans" - Why Waiting Is Sometimes Painful

    Creation Groans – We Groan – The Holy Spirit Groans  “Why Waiting Is Sometimes Painful”   By Mary Lindow   WELCOME TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE!  As I promised, I had told you I was going to share a few podcasts and share a few wonderful stories and experiences that I have had where the Lord has divinely protected, orchestrated and guided my life and my husband Steve’s life.  It’s been a very interesting and intriguing journey, and at times very perilous and not at all fun when it comes to the persecution side of things.    For some reason, there are individuals who preach a gospel that say to the masses that follow them, “Everything is going to be rosy! Everything is going to be fully prosperous financially, and you’re going to be perfectly healthy every day of your life. Every single day of your life is one big, happy party!” Well, for sure, this is not biblical foundational truth when you hear these things.    If you examine the scriptures, you will see that there was a tremendous amount of persecution and much sorrow for strong believers, even some having to be driven into living into caves due to persecution! The apostle Paul speaks about learning how to abase and to abound, meaning, he learned how to function and adjust whether he had plenty or whether he had little. But, he continued to serve Christ and continued no matter how difficult the persecution became, to get back up, even after he was stoned one time and they left him for dead. He got back up and marched back into the city, met up with some dear friends, went to the next city and preached again!  (Acts 14:19-21)   This Podcast Is Going To Discuss The Current Groaning Of Creation,  Our Own Groaning And The Longing For God To Finally Complete  The Fullness Of Things So That Christ Can Return, And Of Course  The Holy Spirit Makes Groaning And Utterances Too Deep  For Our Own Words, Travailing Through Us As We Pray.   Romans 8:26-27 tells us this!  It says: 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.   27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.   ALL THREE OF THESE TYPES OF GROANING ARE TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW.  It’s no secret if you know Steve and I that we have gone through a very difficult season starting a few months before the COVID-19 virus swept our world. With that taking place, we had the loss of our counseling Offices, our dear friend and team counselor/colleague and key supervisor, who carried the doctoral licensure for our Counseling Center died from Covid19.  Adding to the difficulty, ministry invitations to teach and speak also came to a screeching standstill because people couldn’t travel and churches were suffering financially or were uncomfortable holding services.   WHAT IS ONE TO DO WHEN IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE EXPERIENCING THE LIFE OF JOB OR JOSEPH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT? Certainly it’s not wise to pretend that everything is “perky and wonderful” and then lie to people when they too were suffering.  No! We groaned and we wept and we encouraged and we prayed and prayed!  And then prayed some more with others who were suffering and going through the groanings of trauma and loss. For the most part (and I’m truthfully speaking), I’m telling the partial story because the long version of the personal costs and deeper details would take entirely too long to share. I’m sharing openly and a bit vulnerably for a reason though!    We personally had parents locked down in nursing homes over a thousand miles away that we could not get to and one of them died after being abused in that nursing home. Oh yes, we had police and investigators and detectives and even the state of Illinois health board investigating, but by the time they caught up with the perpetrators and those that had dropped my precious 90+ year-old mother-in-law on the front-side of her head, onto a hard wooden bedside table, and then onto the floor where they had stopped using fall mats (because no one was permitted to come into the nursing home to check during lockdowns), her bones were fractured as well as previously from another fall we didn’t know about, until the x-ray team was sent in, garbed up, to run a scan on her. She was also suffering from dementia so it was frantic and frightening for her.    Deep Anguish. Deep Groaning!  The damage had been done and shortly after all of the fees and fines were placed upon this nursing facility, they placed her in a Covid-19 wing, and she died.  Alone.  We couldn’t bury her.  We had one hour to make a decision what to do with her tired little body.     The Glimmer Of Good News was that my father-in-law, who was in an assisted living facility a few blocks away, lived a little longer. He only got to see his wife one time in 18 months and that was through an acrylic panel. No hugging, no touching.  When he became more frail and tired, Covid restrictions were just then being lifted.    STEVE WAS PROMPTED BY THE LORD to fly to Illinois to see his father because he knew his time to go to heaven was near.  A very dear friend that is like a close family member, graciously offered to cover Steve’s flight expenses and partial hotel stay. Steve had two days of being at the hospital with Steve’s father while he was being refitted with a new pacemaker, and being treated for an infection from sitting too long and alone in his assisted living apartment. He had been moved to a new, fresh, clean, assisted living facility, where one of our nieces was the new head administrator. Everything seemed so peaceful and wonderful! Steve’s dad was delighted to be getting such wonderful attention and care.  Steve hugged him good night and said; “I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast Dad! Sleep well.”    At 8:30 the next morning, Steve received a phone call… … From our niece, and his Dad had fallen into her arms when she went to check on him that morning. He had told her he felt a little dizzy, and then passed into heaven.    God’s Timing Was In The Details.  There was joy that Steve could go see his Father, there was joy in the new accommodations and “sense of safety” with the Covid restrictions being lifted, and then there was sudden sorrow, groaning, grief, and loss. Steve’s parents had made plans to be buried next to each other, but it was impossible, since Steve‘s mother had to be cremated due to burial restrictions during the thick darkness of the COVID-19 pandemic.    A BEAUTIFUL THING TOOK PLACE AMIDST THE DEEPEST SORROW.  Our United States military allows you to place the urn of a deceased spouse into the arms of the other deceased family member, if they were former military.  Steve’s dad was a World War II veteran. Steve’s Mother’s urn was placed in the arms of Steve’s dad, her husband, and they were buried together. An additional blessing was that because Steve was there, he was able to officiate his father’s funeral. It was a full honors military funeral.   The Majority Of People Don’t Like To Hear About Hardship From Other People. Especially people in ministry, missionary work, prison ministries, those who rescue trafficked children or those in care giving careers.  There is a “subtle suspicion” that suddenly causes people to pull back and pretend they don’t see the struggle or suffering taking place when they’re used to someone “appearing to look like they have it all together” or who have been some kind of a bright shining hope to them at one time in their lives, or are a ministry, or helper that they once looked up to.    YOU SEE, THE PROBLEM WITH MOST OF US IS, WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE PAIN, SUFFERING, AND THE GRIEF OF OTHERS.   We Don’t Like To Face The Reality That We May Be Called Upon  To Help Those That Are Groaning.     Just Recently, Steve And I Were Again Facing A Bit Of Difficulty because he had an injury take place when he was working at a local Home Depot in a part-time job where everybody in each department take turns working at the customer services register. Steve being the kind of guy that he is, never slacks off in his work. He leaned over into a shopping cart because there was no one else younger or stronger nearby to help, and lifted out a 60-pound bag of dry cement to scan the price. Steve is 76years old. He is very healthy, very strong, but the lifting of the heavy object caused bulging discs in his lower back and he was in absolutely excruciating pain, thus, started a long recovery.    He Is Actually Doing Really Well Now, and we are so grateful for the prayers and the wonderful chiropractor and doctor that we have, who are both Christians and are 100% committed to working towards better health without surgeries. During this time of Steve having to be home and not working and going to physical therapy, we were both also still doing part-time counseling. Steve gradually had the strength to work on installing and fixing a small appliance in our home.    STEVE ALWAYS, WEARS HIS WEDDING BAND ON HIS LEFT HAND.  He loves that wedding band!  Sometimes we set our wedding bands on our kitchen windowsill close to each other so that we can see them next to each other and feel the “cozy joy and love” of knowing we are forever each other’s true love.  When we were first married, we had picked out our wedding bands, and Steve’s was white gold with a gold center band running through it, with a few lovely diamonds embedded in it. It’s a very special lifetime treasure, which we hope to pass on to one of our grandchildren one day.    Steve Had Taken His Ring Off And He Set It In A Strange, Not Normal Place.  I had been cleaning house and I noticed his ring sitting in an

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This podcast is created with the intention of giving you a time of resting and learning to hear the voice of the Lord while allowing Him to speak into your life through 10 to 25 minute messages and teaching insights. Mary Lindow serves thorough mentoring, traveling as a teacher and voice of encouragement. Mary also ministers as a vocalist and is a Pastoral Counselor. Visit www.marylindow.com for information and fresh inspiration.

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