By MariaMaria #597 CM/FM 3379 11/01

How do the keys of the Kingdom and rising above work together?

You can, you can, you can

Start with the difficult, and the impossible will come

There are times when "reality" is not reality

Don't limit Me

Keep things in perspective

Ignore the waves and look to Me

It all depends on how much of My Spirit you take in

Believe in Me

You can have total victory

Let Me do it through you

Look up

Nothing can stand in the way

The place where you end, I begin

Things that seem, don't have to be

Elements of safety

Take that step for Me, and receive the full power

Letting go, and letting Me

Fulfill your destiny

The foundation is yieldedness

Step–by-step battle plans

Grace for the little things …

No matter what

Training on the obstacle course of life …

Putting skin on it

Rise above reality

Dearest Family,

1. Over this last year the Lord has poured out so much to us—so many new revelations, so much new information about the spirit world and about our future—and He's given us several very import­ant new gifts. I'm concerned that we don't let all these wonderful things the Lord has said pass without really understanding them or applying them. But there's so much that in order to really grasp the full meaning of what He's saying, in order to apply it to your life and Home and situation and benefit from it as much as He wants you to, you really have to make an effort to study the Word, to reread the GNs, to ask the Lord to help you apply them and ask Him what the first steps are for you to take.

2. That takes time. It takes putting everything else aside and concentrating on what the Lord wants to say to you. It takes making it a priority in your Home to live the Word. And if it isn't hard enough just given the fact that each of our Homes is a very busy place and we all have more work to do than we'll ever get done‚ some of which is always urgent and "emergency level," the Enemy is also fighting very hard to keep you from grasping and absorbing all that the Lord has said. He will try all sorts of things to keep you from putting in the time to hear further from the Lord about it personally and really apply it and make use of it.

3. Unless we really pursue the things the Lord has said, ask Him further about them‚ and then take the steps to apply them, they won't do us any good. I've assigned those in WS several questions on various prayer mornings, asking them to ask the Lord for His personal application to them. It has helped those in our Home and in the other units to stop and think about what the Lord has said in the GNs, and then ask Him questions about how that applies to them personally. When you ask the Lord to expound on the points He's brought out in the GNs and help you apply them to your own life, it brings it home a lot more. I would highly recommend that you take time to do the same.

4. One prayer morning I asked everyone to ask the Lord, "What does rising above mean for me personally?" Besides giving lots of personal counsel to each person, telling them exactly how to apply it to their situations, relationships, work, lessons‚ etc., He also gave additional general insight into what it means to rise above and the spiritual principles involved. I've pulled excerpts from what the Lord gave to our WS members to share with you in these two GNs. [Note: This Letter is lengthy, so may be split between two GNs when printed.]

5. But don't just take what the Lord has told our folks and let that be the end of your learning to use this wonderful gift of rising above! Take time to ask the Lord these questions yourself, and give Him a chance to "put skin on it" for you and apply it to your particular situation. Then do what the Lord says, and make this a strong point in your life!

6. These gifts that the Lord has given us are not solely to make us happy. He's not just trying to spoil us, or give us tokens of His love. Although that's part of it, He also knows that these gifts will be our tools of survival in the days to come, and that learning to use them is an essential part of our preparation so that we will be equipped to make it through the Tribulation and all that is going to befall this world in the days before He returns. The choice is with each of us how much we'll exercise these gifts, take them seriously, and learn to use them before we really need them desperately! Lord help us not to be caught in the spirit of lethargy and let these priceless opportunities pass us by!

How Do the Keys of the Kingdom
And Rising Above Work Together?

7. To begin with, here is a very interesting message we received when we asked the Lord to explain how the keys of the Kingdom and rising above work together. The keys of the Kingdom are something that we've never had before—they are a new gift from the Lord‚ new power which is now available to us. The concept of rising above is more of a basic spiritual principle or concept that we've always heard or known about. But yet, because the Lord made it part of the Feast last year, we knew it must be very important for this particular time, or new in some way. So we asked the Lord to explain how the keys of the Kingdom and the concept of rising above work together, or what the connection is between the two.

8. (Jesus speaking:) When I opened My hand and gave you the keys to the Kingdom, I gave you a new gift. It is true that Christians throughout the ages have used the keys to some extent‚ but none have had the access, or the detailed information on how to use them, that I have given to you. They are the most recent "new weapon‚" as it were, given to you, the children of David, in the Last Days. These keys make the impossible become possible. These keys put the power of Heaven at your fingertips. These keys energize you with newfound power, the likes of which has not been available to you before.

9. These keys make it possible for all the promises of My Word to be fulfilled, as you are now better able to fulfill the conditions through the power of the keys. They also make it possible for you to follow all the instruction I have given in My Word, since the beginning. For are there not many things that you have tried and tried for years to attain to, and although you have made some progress, you have been discouraged that you could never completely move forward in or completely overcome? I know that many of you have struggled with such things. You have fought, you have moved forward, but you have not completely conquered.

10. You have always known in principle‚ through My Word and the voice of My Spirit, that all things were possible. You knew I was the God of all flesh and there was nothing too hard for Me. You knew that through Me you could "rise above" all things, though you did not necessarily use that exact term. You knew all these things in theory, and some of you practiced them, at least to some degree, or in some areas of your life. Now‚ though‚ I have put the full–fledged, awesome power of Heaven into your hands, so that every one of you who reaches out to claim and use the power of the keys will be given power to put every part of My Word into practice.

11. No longer are any of the promises in My Word out of your reach. All are within your grasp, for you have but to claim the power of the keys, and it will be done. It's not that any of the promises were out of reach before in themselves‚ but often you lacked the faith to appropriate them, or you lacked the power to fulfill your part of the bargain—the condition necessary for the promise to be fulfilled. Now these things which were previously a great struggle, and at times even impossible, are possible to you through the power of the keys.

12. It was possible to "rise above" before—above your problems, above your battles, above physical hardships or any form of obstacles. Yet it was often a long-term battle to truly and completely overcome in any area. Now, I want to make it easier for you.

13. If you claim the power of the keys to help you rise above‚ it's an unbeatable combination.

14. To truly learn the art of rising above, you must be empowered with the keys. I learned the art of rising above when I was there on Earth, with My first disciples, and I have imparted the basic truth of this principle to you throughout My Words. You have always known that the impossible is possible, that you need not be held down by things that seem to be; you have always known that all power was given unto Me in Heaven and Earth—and therefore was available to you in My name.

15. But with the keys, I am making this power more accessible, more apparent‚ more obvious, more down to earth, more real. With these keys you have gained access to spiritual understanding, treasures, riches, and secrets that were veiled or mysterious or vague before. Even the concept of "rising above" as given at the time of the Feast was somewhat vague. The concept of "using the keys" was also somewhat vague at the start. Yet now, as you are becoming more accustomed to using the keys, as you are growing in your knowledge and understanding of their use and power, you have gained and will yet gain greater insight to and understanding of the spirit world. Now you are ready to truly understand what rising above can mean.

16. It means complete overcoming‚ complete victory, complete freedom. It doesn't mean just a sort of deliverance, a major change, or a huge step of progress, or a victory won over many years. It means complete transformation. It means leaving the weights and sins that so easily beset you behind once and for all. That is the complete fulfillment of rising above. That is the power given to you through the keys. If you are desperate for a change in your life, for more fruit in your witnessing ministry, or for a miracle of whatever kind, if you will call on the keys of the Kingdom to enable you to rise above, you will gain a victory the likes of which you have not known before.

17. The victories won through the keys of the Kingdom will be easier and quicker. This full and total victory is rising above in its complete form. It is only fully possible through the keys. Yes, you can "rise above" things to some extent without the keys of the Kingdom. If you are having battles or personal problems and you pray desperately‚ call out to Me, and determine to not let the struggle get you down or dissuade you from My service, you are "rising above" to some extent. There are various degrees to which you can do this, and many ways in which you can do this. You can "rise above" a problem without the keys and be an overcomer.

18. Yet if you want to make this "rising above" a permanent, complete, definite, entire solution, you need the power of the keys. That is what they are for. That is how they are meant to be used. They are meant to harness the spiritual forces of Heaven to fight with you and for you. They are given so that you might not only vaguely sense a form of victory, but so that you might know beyond a shadow of doubt that you are the possessor of victory.

19. The comparison to rising above with or without the keys can be thought of something like this: Rising above without the keys is like making a high jump over a hurdle. Rising above with the keys is like flying. Either way, you get over the obstacle, but one way takes a lot more effort than the other, and also doesn't take you as high or as far. The other opens limitless possibilities, and happens with much greater ease. You can even get over several hurdles at once if you like!

20. Rising above is a matter of the spirit; it doesn't mean self–effort and striving to overcome things in your own flesh. It means being fully yielded and surrendering yourself fully to the power of My Spirit. Only by doing this can you rise above. Yet even doing this much is so very difficult for so many. The yielding‚ the forsaking, the surrendering that I require for you to rise above‚ to truly gain victories, to overcome the impossible, takes many qualities that it is not in your human nature to possess—humility, yieldedness, faith, admitting you are nothing in yourself, believing that I am able. The power to rise above in itself is a miraculous thing‚ yet it is not at all "effortless."

21. I have wanted you, My children, to learn through the struggle. I have held back from giving you certain truths or powers until I knew you were ready to receive them. I have always done this. I was not depriving you by doing this. Rather, I was fulfilling My promise that, "As your days‚ so shall your strength be." As the days grow darker, more power is needed. As the pull of the world grows stronger, so do I strengthen My pull on your hearts. As your need for spiritual power becomes greater, so do I provide that power.

22. Now is the time for the power of the keys. All that I have taught you and shown you in My Word over the years can be completely fulfilled through the power of the keys. Because you have this power, you have no excuses left for not believing, doing, or living any of what I have shown you. You have no reason to hold back from doing anything that I ask of you. There is nothing to hold you back or weigh you down—nothing but lack of faith or unwillingness to yield. But once you take the simple steps of faith I have been showing you through My Word, once you determine that you want the power of the keys and you want to do whatever it takes to get that power, and you step out to receive it and use it, then I take over from there. Then I make the impossible reality. Then you don't even need to "rise" above, because I will do the work of lifting you above. That's how wonderfully I want to treat you! (End of message from Jesus)

23. (Mama:) As the Lord has shown us, the keys of the Kingdom are very powerful—and now we understand that they are what makes the concept of rising above a reality for us! We can claim the keys of the Kingdom to help us overcome whatever is standing in the way of our rising above‚ and through them have the power that is needed.

24. Here are excerpts of the messages that those in our Home and other units received when I asked them to ask the Lord, "What does 'rising above' mean for me personally?" When we were praying about publishing these messages for you, the Lord compared them to a treasure hunt. He said‚ "The keys of the Kingdom and the concept of rising above are reserved for those who study My Words and apply them. I will fill the hungry with good things, but they must have a vacuum. It's almost like a secret treasure, which is reserved for those who will hunt, seek, find the clues, interpret them, search‚ keep searching and trying, and then will be blessed with the great reward of their faith. I make it a challenge for them to go through and pick out the key concepts, and then ask Me how to apply them to their lives. In this way, they will be fed more deeply and will receive the full benefit of My Words, and the increased power I want to give them!"

25. So as you go through these messages, mark the key parts. Really study‚ ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear all the wonders He has hidden within these Words! Go over them and pull the key quotes‚ put them up in places where you'll see them and review them, commit some to memory, become experts on this subject, so that you can benefit from the full power He wants to give you!

You Can‚ You Can, You Can!

26. (Jesus speaking:) My love, with Me, your age doesn't matter. With Me there is continual newness and expansion. With Me you can begin again and again and you can truly rise above! I know that when you take a look at your life and the way you are‚ the habits you've formed, your negative and bad reactions, the things about yourself and your actions you don't like, you think, "What's the use? I'm in a rut in certain personal habits. This is the way I'm always going to be. I can't really rise above in all these little areas that have been part of me and my nature for so long."

27. But this is where I have given you the power to overcome. Even if you couldn't before, you now have the keys of the Kingdom, and there is nothing on Earth or in Hell that can withstand their power. You have access to that power at any time you need it. It's part of My free gift to you‚ and you can claim it as yours. All it takes is your exercising more faith, My love.

28. I know that it's harder for you and more of a test of your faith to believe Me for these little areas, habits, and less-than-trustful reactions in your life than the bigger areas. I have helped you in some major areas, but these little areas still loom in front of you—the areas in which you're clearly not manifesting a spirit of faith, nor the spirit of rising above.

29. But now I challenge you to believe Me for these so–called smaller areas. I challenge you to call on the power of the keys for change in these parts of yourself and your nature that you don't like, and which test your faith and belief in My promises; these habits and parts of your nature that cause you to be easily irritated and bugged over little things; that cause you to be easily on edge and stressed; that cause you to crumple under any sort of pressure. You hate these things about yourself and desperately want to change in these areas and be able to rise above these small things in life. But you seem to lack the faith that I can change you, that I can help you rise above your normal, inborn reactions. But remember, My love‚ whoever you are, whatever age you are, whatever you've been through, you can begin again, you can rise above.

30. I want to give you a personalized list of the enemies in your life that pull you down and hold you back from rising above. One by one‚ My love, I promise to help you cut down these enemies, if you'll call on the power of the keys and give Me your faith and your willingness and desire to change and be made anew.

31. Enemy One: Complaining and negativity. Strive to adopt the attitude on every occasion and at every instance where you're tested to "in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Put on the spirit of faith and trust, knowing that I have sent this situation or this little obstacle your way to see how you're going to react. Think deeply about that, My love.

32. Make a list of any of your personal "situations." Are you truly content in every one? If not, pray the spirit of contentment into every area of your life. This will make a huge difference in your level of faith, not to mention the facial expression of the new you!

33. Enemy Two: Criticalness. Fight the tendency within you to become complacent and settled down in spirit‚ the attitude of, "Well, I'm okay‚ but look at so-and-so." Fight to only look at others with faith and through the eyes of My total and unconditional love. Beware of criticalness, even in small ways. Trust Me that I am working in the lives of each one in the way and timing I know to be best.

34. Enemy Three: Fight rigidity and dogmatism. As you grow older, it's a natural tendency to start getting into ruts, whether they be in your behavior‚ reactions, personal habits, pet peeves and preferences, or even in the way you look at life and others. These are ruts that My children are often unwilling to climb out of, for they are perceived as being a part of you that I am unable to change‚ especially as you get older.

35. Enemy Four: The impulse to say, "I can't!" and "It can't be done!" You must resist the "it's impossible" tendencies in your life. Remember that it's Me working through you, and the power to change is nothing of yourself. All it requires is your giving yourself to Me and saying, "Jesus, I want to change, I need to change‚ and I'm willing to make the sacrifices involved in bringing that change to fruition." When you say, "I can't‚" it means that your thinking is centered on yourself and your circumstances rather than on Me. So you're defeated before you even start. Exercise the weapon of faith against this enemy!

36. Enemy Five: The temptation to let down the standard, to seek the easy way out, the lazy way, to not challenge yourself and apply the Word to every facet of your life, desiring to continue to change. My weapon for this is living more in Me and My Word, to love Me with all of your heart and soul, and to ardently seek after those times together in our chamber of love. Seek at all times to love Me more and to be more like Me in all you say and do. I, your First Love, am the only antidote to resist spiritual degeneration in your life and give you back the glowing newness of a new spiritual babe, one who is so in love with her First Love and so desirous of becoming all that I want and know you can become.

37. Enemy Six: Dullness and pessimism. Are you no longer expecting miracles? Has it been a long time since you felt your heart leap with joy over some new truth—or since you did the unusual or offbeat thing, just out of sheer joy for Me and happiness at being one of My chosen few, one of My brides? If it has been a long time, then break out of your ruts and allow Me to surprise you, to thrill you, and to manifest My ability and power to regenerate and change you and give you even more zest and fervor for life and living than your earlier years! Strive to be an "up" person. Grab ahold of enthusiasm and optimism as opposed to your natural tendency to be a "realist" on all occasions.

38. Enthusiasm for life and all I'm doing comes from living more in Me. Enthusiasm is the rainbow atop faith's sky; it puts a new positive light on things. So strive for the spirit of enthusiasm. That doesn't mean you won't stumble and fall sometimes‚ but even an enthusiast "falls forward."

39. My resurrection life within you, and each one of My brides, is more actual energy than you've probably ever realized or utilized. You have the Spirit of My Father which raised Me from the dead dwelling within you, My love, and just as He raised Me from the dead, so can He quicken your earthen frames by His Spirit. That's one of My wonderful truths and promises I've given to you, and this resurrection power that is within you through Me has given you the same power to rise above. Claim it as yours!

40. Enemy Seven: Looking back. My principle is always that the best wine is last, and with Me there is always newness, new growth, change, and new challenges. Forget those things that are behind (your habits and "natural" you), and reach forth unto those things that are before (the new "rising above" you). Expect miracles! Anticipate all that I'm going to do for and through you, because it has already been done. In the eternal now, this power to rise above yourself and your circumstances has already been given you; all it requires now is for you to reach out in full faith and claim it as yours. Have a large vision—not a narrow one—of all that I'm going to do through you!

41. Recognizing these personal enemies to your faith will put you on the road to truly rising above. Then you'll be blessed in every sense of the word. You won't be bothered or so easily irritated or stressed by external circumstances or little things that come up, by all the little nagging details of daily life that seek to pull you down so easily, for you will truly live in Me‚ drawing from Me, My internal reserves and springs of faith within you. The only qualification is your coming to Me, admitting you can't do it yourself‚ and then waiting on Me as I pour into you and give you the power to rise above! (End of message from Jesus)

42. (Mama:) In order to benefit from this counsel fully, take some time to ask the Lord what your personal enemies are to rising above. Print out or write out that list and put it in a place where you'll see it and review it often—in the bathroom‚ in the front page of your notebook, by your computer screen‚ by your bed, etc. Review it so often that you can't forget it, and soon you'll begin to recognize the opportunities to rise above and it will become a reality in your life!

Start with the Difficult,
And the Impossible Will Come!

43. (Jesus speaking:) "Rise above" means many things. It has some meanings now and some meanings for the future. Right now you look around you and you don't see anything that seems so "impossible" that you would have to overcome. There are things that seem difficult or challenging, or like they need a lot of prayer, but you haven't been one to have the attitude that something "can't be done." In your own life, there are things that you'd like to do but don't because they seem too difficult or like too much work, but you don't consider that you see them as "impossible." So it's been hard for you to really grasp this concept. You believe the principle that nothing is impossible, but you haven't yet had to personally put it to the test. Well, don't worry; your chance is coming.

44. The one thing you have thought about as "impossible" is when you think about the future. You think of the miracles that have been promised—miracles of healing‚ raising the dead, calling down plagues or fire on the Antichrist forces, etc. And while you believe in theory that it's possible, it certainly does have the impossible feel to it—and you dread the day when you may be called on to perform such feats. You fear you won't have the faith or the power. Well, the truth is that you won't unless you practice now.

45. If "impossible" is too exaggerated a label for you to work with in daily life right now‚ let's use "extremely unlikely" or "unrealistic" or "difficult." There are things in your life or work that fit that label, aren't there‚ and that could use some rising above?

46. The key here is to understand the principle of letting go—not letting go of the victory or of the person or situation you're trying to help, but letting go of the instinct, born of pride, that you have to be the one to do something to change things. The key to rising above and proving that nothing is impossible is in coming to a realization that, yes, in the natural it is impossible. It can't be done. It can't change. There are insurmount­able obstacles, realistic, reasonable reasons why nothing should improve or change, and why things will always be the way they are. Yet, in spite of all that, there is hope and faith for change‚ because through Me you can rise above.

47. It's really very simple, but you can make it very complicated by trying to reason it all out in your head and create a little one-two-three definition or formula of "what exactly is impossible" and "how exactly do you rise above?" There is a basic formula, but the exact details are different in every case.

48. In some cases, rising above means praying away the obstacle. In some cases it means working around it. In some cases it means going over it. But the heart and core of the principle is that the obstacle does not need to and should not stop you from doing what I put on your heart or show you needs to be done.

49. You can't really do the impossible, but you can move My hands and heart to do the impossible. You can not only rise above things in your personal life, but you can have influence on many, many people and help them to rise above the obstacles in their lives through your prayers. They have to be wanting to rise above and desirous of fulfilling My will, but if they are, then your prayers have incredible power to enable them to do just that.

50. Likewise, a key to rising above in your own life is learning to depend more on prayer—learning to bring more to Me in prayer yourself, as well as availing yourself of the help and support of others. If you have work-related prayer requests, spread them far and wide and get as many people praying with you as possible. If it's personal‚ pray about sharing it with your Home. If not, then at least share it with your shepherds. Bring things together before Me in prayer.

51. My love, ask Me to increase your faith. If you have faith, anything is possible. For even if I give you counsel and instruction that will help you, if you don't have the faith that it can happen, then it will not happen‚ due to your lack of faith. (End of message from Jesus.)

There Are Times When "Reality"
Is Not Reality

52. (Jesus speaking:) You're holding on too much to your own strength and abilities. You don't think of yourself as being so great or so talented, and yet you limit Me and how I can work through you by not being more desperate‚ prayerful, and hearing from Me more in your work. If you would let go a bit more and lean on Me more, you would find that, number one‚ I could help you do better at the things you're already good at; and number two, you could improve in many areas and become good at things you aren't naturally so talented in.

53. Also, your mindsets about yourself and about others around you hinder you. You see yourself a certain way, and you've labeled others as being certain ways, and this hinders your faith. You have to be willing to let go of these labels and preconceived ideas and let Me help you truly believe that anything is possible and nothing is impossible, and anybody and anything can change. You don't know the future. You don't know what things will be like in your Home or work or personal life years from now. There's something you do know from past experience, though, and that's that things change. People change. Feelings change. Circumstances change. Anything can change! So have faith.

54. Sometimes your desire to want to be realistic, to not get your hopes up, to not have unrealistic or unrealized dreams, becomes a lack of faith. It's good to be a realist to some degree, so that you don't have these big unrealistic expectations of yourself‚ or others, or of life in general; yet on the other hand, too much realism leads to negativity, discouragement, and feelings of defeat‚ even depression.

55. Introspection and dwelling on your weaknesses could lead you to "realistically" conclude that you're a hopeless wreck. "Sensibly" evaluating your gifts and talents could lead you to conclude that you're doing a bad job, that you should be replaced by someone better. "Realistically" looking at your personal situation and love life, you could conclude that it's better to never expect that anyone will love you and then you won't be disappointed. But in doing that, you bring a cloud of despair over your soul. It's good to be patient, but it's not good to conclude that "it won't happen; it's impossible." Lack of hope and faith dries up the soul and spirit. Hope in Me—your God, your rock‚ your salvation, your strength. For if you place your hope and faith in Me, I will honor your trust and will not disappoint it.

56. Believe in Me and in My power to answer your prayers—whether for your personal needs, the needs of your loved ones, or others in your Family around the world. Believe in Me and My power to supply, to heal, to deliver, to minister spiritually. Don't let your prayers become an exercise in vain repetition because of your lack of faith. Don't let situations that haven't turned out as you expected cause you to lose faith in prayer, for prayer works, and I answer prayer. When you've prayed for something or someone and it appears those prayers weren't answered, that's either because you don't understand the whole situation or because the one you were praying for made key decisions that changed the outcome.

57. Fight against the Enemy's seeds of doubt that he tries to plant in your life to make you feel that because of the way so–and-so turned out, or the way such-and-such worked out, that I don't have the power to change things, and that the things of My Spirit—prayer, My Word, and prophecy, and now the power of the keys of the Kingdom which I've placed at your disposal—are not all they're cracked up to be. These means of power and overcoming are real and they do work‚ and the more you put them to use in your life‚ the greater your power to rise above will be. The more you let the Enemy weaken your faith in the new weapons, and thus in My ability and power overall, the more difficult it will become to defy the impossible and rise above.

58. Along with all the new weapons I've placed in your arsenal, I've placed the gift of greater faith in your heart—and in the heart of each of My Family. This gift is yours‚ given to you to cherish, to have and to hold. You must hold on to it at all costs, for the Enemy seeks to pull it from your hands. He seeks to belittle and minimize your faith through a little picking here and there, convincing you that there are too many holes and flaws in prophecy, in loving Me, in My Word‚ and in the doctrine. Hold on to your gift of greater faith. Pray for it to be increased. Pray for your spiritual defenses to be strengthened. Claim the power of the keys of the Kingdom!

59. You need to be strengthened in My Word and in faith. If you're not, not only will you fail to fulfill what I will ask of you, but your own faith will be weakened and depleted because of the negativity, doubt, and skepticism you'll be faced with. These are weaknesses that are especially damaging to you personally‚ because you like to be open minded, to give everything a fair hearing, to see things realistically. Yet there are times when the reality you see is not reality.

60. The only true reality lies in Me and My promises. I'm able to defy the laws of nature that I've put in place if I so desire. Don't limit Me. Don't let the Enemy's doubts limit your faith. Fight militantly to hold on to your faith and to cherish and hone the weapons I've given you so that you may have the strength wherewith to fight the battle, to defy the impossible‚ to rise above. (End of message from Jesus.)

Don't Limit Me!

61. (Jesus speaking:) When you become familiar with the way you perceive yourself to be, and you think certain things aren't doable for you personally‚ this is the greatest hindrance to really pulling down My power for you. You tend to put yourself, with all your personal limitations, in a box, with a sign that reads, "I can do most things You ask of me, but some things just aren't attainable. Note the ceiling on my box. Please don't ask more of me than You can see I can do." And then when it seems that I do ask something of you that in your mind or heart you seem to have resolved is beyond you, then you start to worry that I'm not looking out for your good or your welfare. You've put limits on what I can ask you to do, or what you've resolved you can or want to do.

62. I ask you, with the deepest love I can express, to let yourself break loose. Don't look at the walls you're encased in, thinking, "Thus far and no further—that's all I really can do." Break a hole in it and face the light in the sky above! That's really where you can reach to, with Me and My power.

63. If you get offended because I ask certain difficult or near-impossible things, according to your perceptions, this greatly hinders Me being able to use you to your full potential. Reach for the stars and let nothing stop us! Situations—no matter what they are—will never be too hard for you. It's like working with weights. When you first start and are rather weak, you may look at people using 10 or more pound weights and think that must be super hard. But as you see, if you work up to it, it's no harder for them than it is for someone starting off with three pounds who's not used to it.

64. Let Me bolster your faith and give you courage to reach what I know to be attainable‚ though it may seem so far for you to reach. I can give you the faith to face anything that you have to encounter, and the wherewithal to see it through. Medals will be yours for the encounters you will face, claim My help for, and live through.

65. Don't shy away from hard things, but face them with a sense of joy, because you will get to know more how I can come through. Each hard thing that you face is or can be another opportunity to see a side of Me that you knew was there but haven't yet seen in full action. Let Me show you amazing things, things out of this world‚ by going through with and tackling what I lead you in‚ or what is placed before you.

66. Men or women who wither in the face of that which they think is unattainable never get to see triumph. They may see it one day, through another who fought that battle they chose to pass up. But when one lets Me use them, and they see the victory before their own eyes, yet more strength is given to them. Faith in Me to see them through all impossibilities builds the muscles of the men and women of faith, and they will go on to see yet greater impossibilities conquered. Courage is a result of faith that one can do it, or is at least willing to try. And when it's done, the faith grows yet more—and thus the willingness to conquer, in faith‚ greater foes. Such are My men and women of faith—going forth, with Me beside them‚ conquering and to conquer. (End of message from Jesus.)

Keep Things in Perspective

67. (Jesus speaking:) There are always weak areas of your life where I call upon you to be strong, that My strength may be made perfect through you. I understand these weaknesses, for I too felt them when I walked the Earth in My physical body. I know the human frame and its tendencies, and I understand the difficulties you face in looking at life ahead of you with all its uncertainties.

68. Living for Me and being true to the calling you've known since you were a child becomes an increasingly larger act of faith as time goes by‚ as things change around you—circumstances, people, the world.

69. And then there's the Enemy, always walking about as a roaring lion, competing for your soul, broadcasting the sights and sounds of this carnal world and all its supposed pleasures and liberties in ever greater volume‚ hoping to lure you from the still, small voice that tells you that all these things will pass away, that there is a greater Kingdom and a higher calling to which you are born‚ and to which your soul belongs.

70. All these things serve to get your focus off what's really happening behind the scenes in the true and all-powerful realm of the spirit. You start to forget what it's all about, what you're doing here, and what you joined the army for. You start thinking about civilian life with all its ease and benefits‚ where you're not constantly jostled from your comfortable position to face and endure ever-increasing challenges and tests—battles that only get more difficult‚ more life–threatening, and longer and tougher to fight as time goes by.

71. You start to get your eyes on each individual difficulty, on each little test, on every trying circumstance, and you forget what you're enduring these things for—because you want to be the best, because I've promised you the honor and glory of ultimate victory, because you know you have a real chance of getting that crown if you'll just hold on and endure to the end.

72. But when you get your eyes off this vision‚ all you're left with are the difficulties you face from day to day. You get your nose so close to that old grindstone that pretty soon that's all that exists for you. You can't see beyond the immediate circumstances. And then the Enemy comes along with some really tempting circumstance, some really nice, profitable, convenient offer, and you just can't figure out why there's that little nagging doubt in your heart that there must be something wrong with it.

73. There have been many who have fallen prey to this device and fallen into his snare. They allowed themselves to lose the vision, to forget what they were here for, and when the Enemy came strolling along‚ they fell into his lap like ripe apples, ready for the picking. They didn't even realize that it was the Enemy who had been planning their defeat all along. They never saw it coming, and when all is said and done, they have a hard time seeing or realizing the great mistake they've made, the great rewards they've forsaken, the birthright they've sold for a mess of pottage.

74. So what does all this mean to you personally, and what do I mean by asking you and all My children to learn to rise above? It means I'm asking you to turn your eyes even more toward Me. It means I'm asking you to ask Me more about things that you see around you. It means I'm asking you to let go of your carnal viewpoints and percep­tions of what's happening around you, and to learn to see everything happening around you as a result of the forces of the spiritual realm that are working either for or against you.

75. For you wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers‚ against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. And you cannot fight these battles—or ignore them—by choosing to simply live your life from day to day dictated by the circumstances around you. You must look beyond them, to see My hand working through them, or the Enemy's hand behind them. You must discern which is which, and if it's from My hand, how I would have you use or follow it; and if it's from the Enemy, how to attack or counter it!

76. But you can't do these things in the flesh. In order to continue‚ in order to keep up with this next grade, it becomes necessary to do away completely with the sight and understanding and comprehension of the flesh, and learn to rely utterly and completely on Me to guide and place your every step. This you do through learning to ask Me everything, to depend utterly on My Spirit‚ and to not make a move without first checking it with Me.

77. It's like flying a plane at night into deep, thick clouds—you have no idea where you are or how you're flying. And though it's a temptation to look out your window and feel the reactions of your gut and try to guess where you're going, what direction you're facing, whether you're going up or down, how close you are to the ground, what direction you can safely turn, or whether you should just keep going straight or try for an emergency landing—if you rely only on your instincts and your sight, you're going to get yourself killed.

78. Instead, you have to force yourself to not look out the window, but rather to focus on the instruments and tune in to your radio. That's how you'll get accurate information. While you'll feel as if you're flying totally blind, in reality you'll be flying safer, because the instruments and radio are a lot more accurate than your own finite perception and judgment of what you think you see around you.

79. I've given you the instruments and radio connection that you need to see you through. Now you need to learn to trust them, to look to them, to scan them at every moment for indications of trouble‚ and watch them for the confirmation that you're still flying on course and heading in the direction I want you to go. (End of message from Jesus.)

Ignore the Waves and Look to Me!

80. (Jesus speaking: ) You must resist the tempta­tion to approach this vision of rising above in the mindset of the flesh—thinking of it as another push to help you get rid of this weakness or that tendency—or you will be disappointed, as you have been in the past when you sought to perfect yourself.

81. The very essence of rising above lies in letting go of the flesh so that My Spirit might dwell in you more richly. It lies in losing sight of the flesh, disregarding the flesh, like Peter upon the water. I didn't ask him to manifest supernatural faith or ability in walking on the water. I simply asked him to ignore the water and to think on Me; to believe that he could come to Me‚ no matter what stood between us.

82. And for a brief instant, in a moment of belief and faith, he walked. But then when he turned his eyes back on his natural surroundings, when he began to consider what he was actually doing, when he saw the waves, he wavered, doubted, and the spell was broken—he was back to his carnal self.

83. With the vision of rising above‚ I am teaching you to walk on the water, like I taught Peter. But this time I'm helping you to keep trying over and over again until you get it right—because I know that one of these days soon you will have to start walking on water. And when that time comes, you're going to have to be ready.

84. That's what rising above is all about—about learning to follow Me blindly on faith alone, even when circumstances and everything around you seems to be going contrary to what I'm telling you.

85. For now‚ the Enemy is master of this physical world and its kingdoms, for they have been given over unto him. He also rules and governs the natural mind of man, the carnal conceptions. This is why the carnal mind is not just a little nuisance and minor inconvenience to God, but is at enmity with God. Through rising above, I'm helping you to focus your sights, your plans, your desires, your hunger, your love, your dreams, visions, and aspirations on My Kingdom—the Kingdom that is not of this world, the Kingdom of the unseen‚ of the eternal.

86. That's what rising above means to you. It doesn't mean trying hard to get the victory over this or that. Those are battles you'll have to fight regardless, and have been fighting. But the promise of My anointing of rising above is all about learning to see things from a new perspective, from a Heavenly perspective, from My perspective. And this renewed vision, this renewed outlook, will not only yield to you the victories that you need and desire, but will spur you on, compelled by My love and the power of My Spirit to the greater works that await you in this era of action.

87. So how do you take full advantage of this promise, of this new anointing and gift I'm promising—the anointing and gift of rising above? You've already been given the tools—My Word, the gift of prophecy, learning to seek Me and ask Me about everything, the gift of praise and loving Me that draws you closer to My Kingdom and makes you more aware of My power and love for you, and the things I would do for you simply because you're My bride—and now the keys of the Kingdom, which grant you access to a greater power than you have ever known. All these things together‚ used to a greater extent than you have been using them up till now, with greater desperation and greater dependency, will start you on the road of rising above and of discovering the new role I have for you in the era of action to come. For this is the victory that will overcome the world—even your faith! (End of message from Jesus.)

It All Depends on How Much
Of My Spirit You Take In

88. (Jesus speaking: ) The kinds of things that hinder you from rising above are the things that make you hunger after this world, or look at life from a carnal point of view. They are the things that put you in man's realm of impossibilities, instead of My realm of no impossibilities. These things can be different for every person, and what affects one a great deal might not affect another at all.

89. It all depends on how much of My Spirit you're taking in to counter the effects of the world's input that is all around you. If you don't take time in the Word, listening to Me in prophecy, pouring out your soul in supplication for the needs of others in prayer, praising Me for the good I bring into your life, thanking Me for My spirits who are constantly watching over you and ministering to you, and loving Me with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, then you will not be able to rise above. You can't have one without the other, so the things that keep you from rising above are any things or activities that keep you from spending that much–needed time with Me and in My Spirit.

90. I'm asking you to live more in the realm of the spirit‚ to be more alert‚ more careful and prayerful, more aware of all that is happening around you—not merely in the physical world but in the spiritual world, where the greatest warfare of this day and age is taking place. Yes, you see famines and pestilences all around you. There are people enduring physical hardships and hunger because of the corruption of those who rule the world. But these struggles and battles are as nothing compared to the wars of the spirit that are being waged at this very moment for the hearts and souls of men, and the course of their future. It is these battles in which you play a key role, and in which the gift of rising above will count the most. And while the victories you win on this field will in turn provide you with the faith and direction to overcome and rise above the battles and difficulties of the physical realm, and usher you into the era of greater works and action, it is above all the battle of the spirit that must be fought and won first—as I had to first confront the Devil in the wilderness where I was tempted for forty days and forty nights before I could move on to the greater work of My public ministry.

91. This is the stage in which you now find yourself, and the stage in which mastering the art of rising above becomes crucial—which is why I present this gift and revelation to you at this time. Your part is to make use of it, to appropriate it to yourself, and to do everything you can to make this vision and truth a part of your life. (End of message from Jesus.)

Believe in Me!

92. (Jesus speaking:) My love‚ the main thing that is hindering you, that you need to stop doing, is worrying and fearing and doubting that you can rise above. That rather negative attitude that tries to hinder you from having full faith in the things I've promised you about this, is, of course‚ the work of the Enemy of your soul! You must rebuke him and this feeling that you personally will somehow not be able to attain to this rising above, especially in the future. This is exactly what the Devil wants you to feel, so you'll give up trying, so you'll see it as something that is out of reach for you. This is exactly what He tried to do with Me.

93. You must resist it and resist him with everything in you, My precious one! Go on the attack against him, and against this negative feeling. Believe what I've told you—that nothing is impossible for Me, and therefore‚ nothing is impossible for you, with Me in you! Nothing is impossible for you when you use the power I have given you through the keys of the Kingdom! (End of message from Jesus.)

You Can Have Total Victory!

94. (Jesus speaking:) Rising above means you can have total victory, happiness‚ and My spirit of joy and delight all the time. Sure, there will be times when you're going through it or get bogged down with something‚ but at those times you can rise above. Anything that comes up in your work or your personal life is not too much for Me to handle. It's not too hard for Me to help you to rise above it.

95. In other words, there is life and hope and love and joy available to you in any situation you find yourself in. There are no limits to the happiness you can have in life once you've learned to rise above.

96. Life is full of troubles, trials and problems. That's the daily grind of life—the wearing and chipping and grinding and polishing that makes you the jewel you are, if you're allowing Me to work in your life, and allowing Me to let circumstances and conditions fashion you into a better gem. All the nagging little details of life don't have to get you down—they can thrust you into rising above and garnering all the joy and fulfillment out of life that you didn't know was possible before.

97. Rising above and having the ability to do so at any time also means that you can leave off worry or fear, because there's nothing that I cannot help you to rise above. You don't have to be fearful or worried about what will happen, because you have My personal assurance that once you've learned the art of rising above, nothing will be so very difficult for you. You will have the extra special spiritual power and strength that rising above gives you, and nothing will be impossible to you.

98. Whether a small thing or a big thing, rising above gives you the equal chance to get over and above something without having to bear the weight. You can cast your cares on Me and trust Me to sustain you. You don't have to worry so much about you having to do something, because I'm going to do it through you. I'm now going to help you to rise above through the power of the keys of the Kingdom. I'm going to live in you and through you by giving you this special, unique power.

99. It means that you now hold the power that enables you to defeat the Enemy in every way that he tries to discourage and hinder you. You don't have to fear him and his attacks anymore, because the power of rising above is a greater power. It's not a power that struggles and fights against the Enemy's power; it simply rises above, it lifts you above, into a special im­penetrable protective field of My Spirit, into My Heavenly atmosphere. There's nothing the Enemy can do about that. He can't fight back, bring in reinforcements, or pull out a new weapon or tactic. All he can do is vainly struggle on while you have risen above and are out of reach of his attacks. So the power of rising above is much greater than conventional physical or spiritual warfare the Devil can hit you with, because it can't be beat no matter what.

100. You have to realize the power that I've given in rising above. It's not just a metaphor or a cool-sounding thing. It's not just a spiritual symbolism. It's a real and living power. Once you realize this, then you'll have much more faith in every area of your life‚ because you'll realize that you have not only a strong and powerful Lover and Husband to protect you, but an invincible, can't-be-beat power of rising above at your disposal, anytime you need it. It will help you realize just how important you are‚ and how powerful you are through Me‚ because I've seen fit to give you this special gift.

101. So rejoice in it! Praise Me for it. Love Me for it. It's your salvation and will help to make the way before you perfect, because as you stumble or fall or encounter difficulty, you can rise above on the wings of faith—the faith that I've given you this gift, and faith to call on the power of the keys to make it a reality in your life—and that all you have to do is appropriate it, and it's yours! Let Me lift you to new heights, and help you through the difficulties of the present and the future. I will do it for you because I love you‚ because I adore you, because I care for you, because you're Mine, and you're special to Me. (End of message from Jesus)

Let Me Do It Through You!

102. (Jesus speaking:) Rise above by trusting Me. Rise above by being desperate. Rise above by letting Me do the work and not feeling like you have to do it all. That's why I'm giving you these feelings of weakness and inadequacy, because I want you to rise above, to let it go‚ to let Me take hold of this very big job in front of you and do it the way I want to do it. I don't want you doing it; I want to do it! So step back and let Me. Ask Me to do it through you, acknowledging that you can't do it on your own, and I will help you and make it perfect.

103. You can take more time with Me, and that will help you to rise above. Pray more. Ask Me more things, little things throughout the day. Check in with Me and obey what I tell you. Don't just go from one thing to the next because someone is asking for something or wants to talk about something; check with Me. Make sure you're hitting the mark, and all that will contribute to greater power and ease when you need to rise above. (End of message from Jesus.)

Look Up!

104. (Jesus speaking: ) To picture the meaning of My promise of rising above, picture a light and wispy fairy who is almost transparent. If this delicate fairy were earthbound‚ she would be swept along in the muddy river that represents all the problems, complications, trials and trivialities of life. In that muddy river are all the negative words and uncomfortable situations, all the opportunities lost, all the regrets of the past. Swimming upstream is never easy, but for this fairy who's been created with a special destiny, it would become well nigh impossible, for the river only seems to get thicker and muddier with each passing year.

105. But now the fairy can use her wings to rise up and above the river. There are still the same obstacles and complications of life, the upsets, the inconveniences‚ the annoyances, the personality clashes, but instead of swimming upstream through those things and letting them besmirch her‚ she is simply rising above them. She's still going upstream in the same course, but I've shown her that there's no need to immerse herself in the cares of this life or to let them slow her pace—or worse yet, pull her backward in the never-ending flow.

106. The fairy is like your spirit. My promise to you is that you can rise above the things that threaten to muddy your outlook on life. You can let each day's trivial disappointments flow right under your feet as you flow effortlessly on to do My will. None of these things will move you, none will slow you, as you practice this art of rising above. Sometimes, if you keep your eyes downward at the contents of the river of your life‚ you can start to drift downward until your feet, then legs, then body are immersed in the river. But all it takes to be pulled back up is for you to look up again.

107. Look up to Me through seeking My voice in prophecy. Look up to Me by using the weapon of praise. Look up to Me by living the motto "Jesus, then Others, then You." Then I promise that your spirit will begin to rise once again, until you're gliding effortlessly up the river of your life, on to your destiny. (End of message from Jesus)

Nothing Can Stand in the Way!

108. (Jesus speaking:) When your goals and desires are in line with My will and My desires for you, there is nothing that can stand in the way of our reaching those goals together.

109. I've given you many promises to claim and to stand on. Each of these, My words of promise to you, have creative, overcoming power; they are strong and true. If I knew that it was really impossible for any one of these promises to be fulfilled in you, why would I have wasted My breath in making them in the first place? If the truth was that you'd never be able to completely overcome in the way that you've hoped and dreamed and longed for, then why would I do so much to give you the message that you can obtain these things, and even that I want you to obtain them, and expect you to. Would I ask you to do something that I knew was impossible for you to do? Would I place such a heavy burden on you?

110. My Word says to‚ "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil.2:5). Would I have put something like that in My Word if I didn't expect you to actually be able to do it—to let My mind be in you?

111. While it's true that I said, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways" (Isa.55:8), I was speaking of the carnal man—not of you, someone who has been born of My Spirit and washed in My love. Through Me you have the power to leave behind the things of the carnal man. You're Mine; I bought you and paid for you. And I have given you the keys of the Kingdom—access to unlimited power. Anything that is within My will, you can ask for and expect. And because of that it's completely possible for you to be possessed by Me and My Spirit in such a way that you can truly rise above the limitations and the weaknesses of your flesh and of your personality and character. My promises aren't just fanciful dreams and pie in the sky. They're there for you to claim and appropriate so that by these you might partake of My divine nature (2Pet.1:4).

112. I don't make unreasonable requests of My loved ones, or put upon them unreasonable expecta­tions. When I was walking on the water and I called Peter to step out of the boat and come to Me, I wasn't asking him to do the impossible. With man, something like that would of course be impossible‚ but not with God. With God, anything is possible, and so is anything possible to him that believes.

113. I am speaking personally to you. All things are possible to you if you will believe. It is possible for you to overcome. If your will is in line with Mine, then you can have the assurance that whatever you want and ask for in My Name and with faith is yours.

114. When I was on the Earth, I was affected by the same limitations of weak human flesh as you are. Because of that, I know what you go through. I can understand your feelings‚ and even your doubts. But even though I had taken on the form of human clay, because I believed My Father's Words, I was given the faith to follow His great commission for Me no matter what supposedly impossible situations it led Me into. I trusted that if I did My part, if I humbled Myself and obeyed, even unto death‚ He would take over where My human frame left off, and He would do the rest. He would do the miracles. Although at times My flesh couldn't see it or feel it—especially during those agonizing hours on the cross—I believed My Father's promises that He would help Me to overcome the limitations of mortal man and even raise Me from death, though it was something completely impossible for My human body to do.

115. Because of My love for My Father and My yieldedness to His will, I and My Father were one. Our desires were one and the same. Our hearts were one. Because I wanted to please Him and follow His calling for Me, even though it meant dying on the cross, He was able to give Me overcoming power and fill My human flesh with His Spirit, His power, and His supernatural anointing. And the same can be true for you. When you're strong in My Spirit and your will is one with Mine, then you can command Me to do whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (End of message from Jesus.)

The Place Where You End, I Begin!

116. (Jesus speaking:) As you've so recently seen, there is much in life that seems impossible, but with Me‚ all things do become possible. When you look at life or yourself with your own reasoning, you often only see problems and impossibilities, and that perplexes you. You fall down in despair, knowing that you can't bear the weight of many difficulties, demands and responsibilities, or cope with the faults and failings that fill and surround you.

117. I've shown you the face of seeming impossi­bilities both within and without so that you could see My hand and power at work and believe, and so that you could be set free from trying so hard to overcome in your own strength. Your confidence in Me has been renewed, knowing that I really am your only salvation‚ your only hope, your only deliverer, that your salvation is only in Me.

118. Now, My love, as I lift you above the fog of the futility of trying in the flesh‚ above the fear and frustration, above all the lying vanities, and pull away the mask of impossibilities and show you that it's only Me‚ you find great peace and confidence. You find hope where there was no hope. Your faith in Me has grown, even though your confidence in yourself has been shaken. You saw Me keep you and deliver you so miraculously that now you better understand that you can't, but I can.

119. I want you to know that I desire and will do the impossible for you if you cease from your fretful, futile, and frantic struggle to keep yourself, to deliver yourself, to work out your own problems. I am the Lord that keepeth thee. I want you to put your life into My hands, to rest in Me, to learn to totally trust where you don't understand‚ and to let Me lift you above every problem that comes your way; to get you so confident in Me that nothing will easily shake you.

120. No man can save himself, or add Me and My power and virtue to himself by the force of his own will and works. That's the madness of self-righteous man. It's only in failing, in falling, in being weak and in need, and in desperation calling out to Me to do for you what you know you can't do for yourself that the miracle of deliverance from your problems by My great power can be performed.

121. You've seen that nothing but prayer can prevail in most situations. Your will, your charm, your goodness, your cleverness, your badness, your intimidations and all such tactics of the flesh fall short and leave you helpless. Only sincere, desperate, humble prayer moves My hand and gets things done when nothing else can. These are precious gifts from Me. Humility is a very precious gift, though humans don't always see it that way at first.

122. As for the works of the flesh‚ how difficult it is to rescue a drowning man when he's still frantically trying to save himself. His mind is full of fear and he's a danger to all who come near to help him. Often I want to help you more in a situation, but I must wait until you stop struggling so hard. When you're in a great battle with your fears and problems, you must learn to trust Me to save you and cease from your frantic efforts in the flesh so that I can speak to you, still your heart, and bring you out of many waters.

123. If you must fight, fight to be calm and have faith, to believe in Me. Then cast all your cares upon Me. Trust Me totally without reservation and learn to rest, having done all you can; for giving it all to Me is the best thing you can do.

124. When you feel your fears crushing you on all sides and there's no apparent way to escape, call upon Me and let Me command the storm to cease and bring you up into My secret chamber where all is peace. In an instant I can lift you up and set you in a higher place in My Spirit, in My tower‚ upon My rock, My mountaintop, high above the cares of this world.

125. When you reach the perimeter of your ability as a man, when you fall defeated at the retaining wall of your own limitations and realize the impossibility of escaping what seems like the prison house of your own human frailty or ability, that's when you come to really know your limits, and that with man it is impossible. But the place that seems to be the end of all that's possible for you is not the end at all that's actually possible! That's really the place of great beginnings. That's the border, the frontier, the great divide‚ the place where you end and I begin.

126. What may seem like a place of great defeat for you and your pride is not a place of total failure, complete loss, or of despair and utter hopeless­ness. Just the opposite is true, for just beyond that line that marks your limitation is the beginning of Me‚ an eternal sea of limitless power and possibility that is yours in Me.

127. So don't be cast down and fall into despair at what seems totally impossible and hopeless to you. Simply know that you've finally reached the borders of My Kingdom where you end and My power and glory begins. You've come to the Holy Mountain, to the House of your God‚ to the doorstep of the King of kings. You have simply come Home to your Father's House, and He Who has seen you coming from afar now runs to greet you with open arms and great joy and rejoicing, knowing that you've finally come to the end of yourself‚ and finding yourself unable, have turned from yourself and come Home at last to Him.

128. There He will lift you up into His arms and carry you into His realm, for in your own ability you are too weak to even walk there. There He will clothe you in wondrous robes and call for a feast, for that which was lost is found. Nothing in your hands you bring; simply to His love you cling. When you discover it truly is not in you, but is only in Him, then He can lift you up‚ if you let Him. You can't rise above by your own will and works, but only through humble surrender and submission to Him.

129. A soul that has come to the end of itself, to the end of its human endurance and abilities, is actually a greater threat to Satan than a soul full of its own self–confidence. That's why he attacks these broken and fallen ones with such fury and force, trying to cause them to totally despair of life and fall into great self-defeat and condemnation, feeling totally worthless. He doesn't want them to see that they've come to that place of great power—that sacred place where they end and I begin. He doesn't want them to discover what infinite power is there; that My Spirit is ready to rush in and fill them and give them more power than Satan ever had or could have—the pure power of My presence in them, lifting them up. What wars are fought at the border of My Kingdom to prevent those weary souls from calling out to Me and casting themselves upon Me that I might deliver them.

130. Why do you wonder at the mysterious ways of God? Why do you seem so surprised that out of seeming defeat I bring forth My greatest victories? Why are you so confounded that in the moment when you feel weakest, totally defeated, crushed, and unworthy to be called My son‚ you find yourself most blessed by Me? Have you not read? Have you not heard it said that God's way up is down? That victory doesn't go to the swift? That the last shall be first? That the greatest are those who are least in their own eyes, who esteem others greater and who make themselves the servant of all? Have you forgotten that the meek shall inherit the Earth? That the broken and humble sinner will enter in before those who are proud and righteous in their own eyes?

131. So I say, cease from your futile attempts to do what can only be done by Me. Don't look into yourself for solutions, but rather step out of your world and into Mine. Come quickly into My courts with praise and thanksgiving. Lift up your eyes and look into Mine and find strength for the task, power for the hour, solutions to all impossibilities.

132. Rise up, sweet child, and sing‚

For the victory I will bring.

Like a rising tide within,

I wash you free from the bindings of sin.

Where once was naught but gloom and self-despair,

I plant a garden of faith, power‚ praise and prayer.

Though you have walked the valley of death and worldly care.

Wondrous lessons have you learned there:

That I love you,

That My Word is true,

That there is naught that your flesh can do.

Still‚ all things are possible in Me through you.

133. (My soul replies to God: )

You are become my hope,

My high tower,

My strength‚

My refuge,

The lifter up of my head,

The Source of all my power.

When I seem to fall and die,

From ashes I rise and fly.

With man such things can't be done, dear Love,

But in You is the secret of rising above. (End of message from Jesus.)

Things That Seem‚ Don't Have to Be!

134. (Jesus speaking:) Rising above means that things which seem they would be a certain way don't have to be that way; you're not held back or held down by physical circumstances; your surround­ings or even the situation you're in doesn't dictate your reactions, your victory, your fruit, your anointing‚ or your happiness. That is rising above.

135. Of course, there are rough moments. There are times when you're affected by your circumstances, or you do feel the press or the strain of the situation that you're in. That's human and normal. But you always have the choice to rise above. You always have that option, because I've made it available to you and you have the power of the keys of the Kingdom. It's always there for you. There's never a time when you're destined to be bound to the things of the flesh, because you now have the power to always overcome.

136. Yes, the flesh will sometimes affect you. There will be times that I'll allow you to feel it more, to teach you lessons, to get you desperate, to help you sympathize with others. But you always have the choice to then rise above it, to call on the power of the keys, to claim My promises and not stay there surrounded in mind and spirit by the things of the world, but rather to look up and let the connection that we share pull you up.

137. You have to choose to look up to My face. You have to choose to take your eyes off of the circumstances and conditions, even though they might be demanding, depressing‚ worrisome, or are begging you to give them your attention. You have to choose to look past it all, up to Me. I always keep the space above you free and clear, so that you always have that option to look straight up and see Me clearly, without obstructions or distractions. When you do that, we share a powerful connection.

138. Your decision to look past it all, to look up to Me in faith, makes our connection strong. Even if you don't feel the faith, your obedience to do so is a step of faith or a statement of faith, and then I am able to lift you up‚ to join your spirit with Mine so that you see things as I see them, feel things as I feel them, and in a greater way have My heart and My Spirit within you. This instantly gives you greater faith‚ greater anointing, a much broader perspective, and the peace and trust that you need. That is the process of rising above.

139. Hearing it like that, it's really simple. You just have to choose to look past everything that's threatening you on the sides, look up through the channel that I always keep free and clear between us, and then let Me pull you up and meld our hearts and thoughts so that you receive My Spirit and are then free of the things of the world. And if anything is threatening to hold you down or preventing you from looking up and seeing Me clearly, call on the keys and the power they hold for you, to give you the extra boost you need.

140. The fact of the matter is, if you could always see things like I see them, you'd never worry. You would never even have cause for concern. You would only joy in My perfect plan. You would rejoice at each new step that I bring into your path. You would rest securely in My care and foresight and protection. The way to keep that attitude of faith and realism—seeing things the way they truly are in the spirit—is to keep rising above.

141. There will always be things surrounding you that are difficult to bear. There will always be things that the Enemy tries to distract you with. There will always be things that I allow in order to keep you humble and desperate with Me. But those things are intended to help you rise above even more. You're not to stay down in them, wallow in them, or be held down by them. You're to rise above them! In so doing, you'll find that you're even stronger than before. (End of message from Jesus)

Elements of Safety

142. (Jesus speaking: ) Keep your eyes on the Lighthouse of My Word. My Word heals the heart‚ washes away fears, takes your eyes off yourself, and sets you free to serve Me. You must resist the temptation to look back at your old self—the fallen and feeble you. He is dead and gone, but you must live and journey on. Don't take your eyes off Me for an instant, for the moment that you look down at yourself, Satan fires his deadly darts of fear, condemnation‚ dis­couragement and dismay to get you to panic.

143. Imagine that you were mountain climbing, trying to escape your enemy, and you fell into a place that seems impossible to be rescued from. You seem all alone and no one knows you're there and that you need to be rescued. Then you pray, and I appear at the mouth of this cavelike crevice you're in that opens out onto the side of a cliff. I'm dressed in mountain gear and assure you that I can help you get out, but you have to trust completely and step only where I tell you to step, not look down‚ and keep your eyes on Me.

144. You know that you can't survive long where you are and decide to trust Me. So the rescue begins as I lead you out of the crevice right out onto the side of the mountain. I have you secured to Me with a rope that is fastened firmly to the rock face and to Me. I tell you where to step, where to put your feet. You trust Me and obey and begin to make progress.

145. Then you panic a bit as you glance down, and you get fearful of falling to your death. You begin to freeze up. You look to Me and listen to My voice speaking to you. Your faith returns and you continue on. Your enemy sees you escaping and tries to get you to fear, to not trust Me, to look down, to panic and try to turn back to the crevice where you seemed a little safer. But what you don't know is that even if you do make a mistake and fall, you will not utterly be cast down, because My rope will hold you and I will pull you up again and help you keep going onward and upward to safety.

146. In this illustration you see all the elements you need for your safety. First of all, I am the One Who is rescuing you, so you must have faith in Me and trust Me with your life. Second, though the mountain face is frightening for you‚ and you would very likely die there, you know that I have you attached to Me with very strong, secure cords that will not fail even if you fail and fall. Third, you have My voice of prophecy and My Words to guide your steps. These you must listen to carefully, for they not only keep you calm‚ but they tell you exactly what moves to make next, where the footholds are, and where you can reach out to hang on. My Word and listening to My move-by–move instructions through prophecy are critical in helping you reach safety and escape the impossible situation or condition that the Devil wants you to think you're in.

147. Finally, don't give place to the Enemy, who wants you to not trust Me but to become full of fear, doubts, panic, and cause you to fall. You have to keep your eyes on Me and your ears on what I'm saying; not what he says to you or about you. He wants you to think you can't make it, that it's too hard, too tall, too impossible for you to do. That may be true; it may be impossible for you, but it's not impossible for Me. I have put the keys to the Kingdom in your hand; their power waits to be activated at your call and vacuum‚ and within them is all the power of Heaven. I love you and will not let you fall to your death, but will bring you up and out of all those places the Devil would hold you down in.

148. So have faith, believe, trust and obey, and I will show you the way. Put your hand into My hand and step out into the impossible with Me. (End of message from Jesus)

Take That Step for Me,
And Receive the Full Power!

149. (Jesus speaking: ) It's usually something specific to the situation that hinders you from rising above. There's always some step that you have to take in order to be willing to look past the circumstances and receive My strength; to leave all the physical things behind and claim My power. Sometimes it's just being willing to move forward. Sometimes it's forsaking your fears or being willing to face them. Sometimes it's being willing to be humbled and forsake your pride. Sometimes it's being willing to obey something that I'm asking of you. Sometimes it's remembering and having the faith to call on the keys for an out-and-out miracle.

150. Simple willingness is what I look for. I know you don't have the strength in yourself‚ so I look for the willingness. When you're willing, and you look up to Me, when you call on the keys‚ you receive your "rise above" power in full measure. You receive the strength to do whatever it is that I'm asking of you, or the strength to rise above whatever circumstances are threatening to undo you.

151. There's always something that I ask of you, and in each case, finding out what it is that I'm asking of you, and then being willing to do it, is the key. It's that looking up in faith, that decision that‚ "Yes, I want to rise above. I'm willing to do whatever it is. I want that power, that faith, that anointing, whatever it takes." It takes leaving the old behind. That's often a difficult decision, but it's one that I greatly reward and honor. (End of message from Jesus)

Letting Go, and Letting Me!

152. (Jesus speaking:) Once, before you ever went to Earth, I walked with you in Heaven. We followed a flower-laden trail wending alongside a trickling stream. It was just you and Me in this garden; it was our moment to talk about your life on Earth and all that would be brought to the fore. We smiled together as we spoke; I held your hand‚ and you clung desperately to Mine. Though you smiled, there was an apprehension in your voice; you weren't sure if you were prepared for this journey to Earth.

153. You turned to Me and asked, "Lord, will I be able to make it? It sounds beautiful, but so complex and difficult. Do I have it in me to persevere no matter what?" I smiled then, and I smile now again as I relate the answer to you once more: "Of yourself you don't, but with Me you do."

154. In your Heavenly state it was easy for you to understand the meaning of availing yourself of Me, for you and I had been as one, our hearts so securely entwined. I was your everything. The knowledge that I would be there for you no matter what; that I would be the strength you need; that it would be Me, and Me alone, Who would see you through the difficulties of life on Earth that you were about to face, gave you courage and a belief that despite the hardships, you would in truth not be moved from your steadfastness, regardless of what you faced.

155. That moment is now forgotten in your memory. What you know now is the reality of the struggles that each person must go through in life. The reassurance of My arms that you once knew seems as merely a concept that you desperately hope to embrace, but it seems so far away and distant. You are now living or have passed through the things I told you about in that walk through the garden we made—the very things that initially caused you to waver and fear that you could not make it.

156. I knew it wasn't going to be easy for you then, but I knew what you would need to pass through in your life in order to make you all that I needed you to be. I didn't mark your way with unnecessary and cumbersome elements; instead I placed only what needed to be there—those things that would transform your heart and fill it with yieldedness and love for Me.

157. That "once" I spoke of‚ when I com­missioned you with all that you were to do and face in your time on Earth, still lies within you. Though forgotten to your consciousness, deep within your heart you can still feel the reassurance of My Words that renewed your faith in My ability to make you truly rise above the problems you were to face.

158. I do this with all My children. Before I send them on their way, I take the time to reassure their heart with the knowledge that for all the struggles they will find themselves in as they follow life's path, there is more than a sufficient amount of My Spirit poured upon each individual to truly cause them to rise above.

159. But you forget so easily, and when you're faced with the problems, you try to work them out in your own mind. The words I spoke to you‚ the guidelines I placed before you then are often dis­regarded now, and you lack the ability to conquer and rise above because you attempt it in the physical rather than tapping into the full resources that are at your disposal.

160. There are several reasons why you personally‚ as well as many others, struggle with this "rise above" concept. I will relate them to you so that you can endeavor to avail yourself fully of the power I've given you.

*The concept of rising above is impressive; it makes even the most complex of circumstances easier, and you wonder if you're worthy of it.

*You want to understand exactly how it works. You feel you must fully grasp the intricacies of how it works in order for it to be effective in your life.

*And lastly, you find it hard to let go of it all and believe that rising above is a possibility for you. It almost seems fictitious, a paradox, or unreal.

161. Though these may appear to be valid con­siderations‚ in truth they are spiritual barricades that have stood defiantly against the wish of My Spirit. You're a strong person; reliance on others is not your first inclination, and that mode of operation has been impressed on your spiritual attitudes as well. This is your main conflict to accepting this gift I bestowed upon you of rising above.

162. My love, countless times I have told you that on your own you are not capable of standing up to the winds of adversity that howl about you. You often question: "If I'm not supposed to, then why am I faced with them?" Your error lies there! I didn't place them there requiring that you struggle‚ that with your face in the mud you attempt to persevere. Rather I asked you to acknowledge the raging tempest that you must traverse, and instead of attempting to do it on your own, to realize your own insufficiency and ask that I grant you the wings to rise above the storms and triumph.

163. So often you flounder in the churning currents and are thrashed by the breaking waves. In times past I threw out the lifeline to you, hoping to reel you in to safety, but instead you attempted to fight the storm and triumph on your own. After finding yourself submerged in the waters countless times, eventually you did learn to grab ahold of the lifeline, and it made all the difference in the world to you. Now I'm offering you a new means to see you through the storms. Will you accept it? Will you receive the gift I wish to send your way‚ that of rising above? Will you use the keys of the Kingdom that I have placed in your hands for this purpose? Or will you attempt once again to brave the waves on your own?

164. You're not strong enough to conquer them on your own. You will falter. You'll grow continually weaker under the thrashing waves. It doesn't have to be so; all that it requires is that you not be deceived into thinking that you must do it on your own. I'm more than capable of picking you up out of the swirling tempest and placing you upon My rock. In the end, though, it's up to you as to whether or not you will call out to Me and allow Me to rescue you.

165. I will do it if you will ask. The first step is yours to take, though. I can't work the miracle‚ the downpouring of My Spirit to give you the grace for the difficulties, unless you desire it, unless you cry out to Me with desperation of heart and free yourself from the mindset that you must conquer on your own. The keys of the Kingdom are not activated until you call for them by name. If you do your part, I will reach through the tempest and save you from the water. I will hold you in My hand, and though still surrounded by the storm, I will keep you covered and protected and more than able to see the storm through.

166. Here are ways that you can learn to rise above in your life personally:

*When you start to feel the strain and stress of work or personal difficulties, stop. Don't continue on as you were, trying to accomplish even though you know you don't have it in you. Put it all aside for a time, even if it's just for 15 minutes‚ and come to Me and be refilled with My Spirit.

*Don't put unnecessary burdens on yourself by hashing things out in your mind or taking it on yourself to solve the problem through analyzing it. Bring it straight to Me, and there find the solution.

*Let go of your own ability and grab hold of Mine through bringing each problem to Me and asking Me for the solution.

167. Your main pitfall is when it comes to finding your strength in Me. You want to, because you hear that it's what gives you the means to survive life's hardships, but actually seeing it come about for you is something that remains hazy and unrealistic. Your mindset is the key here. You've grown accustomed to the way you perceive certain things, and to develop any other mind pattern just doesn't come naturally. But that doesn't mean that it's impossible. All things are possible, and if you're willing, then I am more than able to demonstrate the working miracle of rising above in your life.

168. Your first step is to call out to Me earnestly, realizing your insufficiency, and instead relying on Me totally. This doesn't mean that you will then turn around and attempt it on your own; it means that you will take note of your weakness without Me and then allow Me to pour down My Spirit so fully upon you that it will be My Spirit and power that will run through your veins—no longer you, just Me. Isn't that what you always wanted? Well, it's yours! (End of message from Jesus)

Fulfill Your Destiny!

169. (Jesus speaking: ) Rising above is the secret to success. It's the difference between forging ahead or falling behind, between success or failure‚ victory or defeat!

170. For you personally, My love, it's an offer you can't refuse. To whom much is given, much is required‚ and this is what I require of you, My darling, that you master this art of rising above. You've been given much; if you know these things, then happiness, joy, satisfaction and fulfillment will only come as you step out and do the things which I've revealed to you.

171. Rising above through the power of the keys is your future; it's to be your modus operandi. It's how you're to operate. It's how to control your actions. It's how you are to move and think—always in the "rise above" manner. It's to be your mindset, your lifestyle. It's to become part of you. The art of rising above is to be such an integral part of your life, it's to be your modus vivendi—your way of life, your style of living at all times. It's an offer you can't refuse‚ My love. You are to be My living proof of one who can truly rise above.

172. I have chosen the foolish things of this Earth—those who are not wise on their own; those who are weak and frail, incapable in themselves, what the world would call ignorant, unlearned, almost nothing. Yet with Me in you, you are everything! You are My chosen vessel, one whom I've created‚ that My light and power and glory might shine through you for all to see.

173. You have nothing to fear at the awesome prospect of rising above difficulties and the impossible and all it entails, but you have only to lean on Me and call on the power of the keys. In reality‚ you don't do the rising, I do. I am the One that lifts you above. I am the One that causes you to rise high above the impossible. All you have to do is yield to Me.

174. This is what rising above is to you, My love. This is what it means to you. It's nothing of yourself. It's yieldedness. It's letting go of everything of your own, of everything of your flesh, of everything of your own feelings and emotions, and letting Me live and work and move freely in you. It's letting Me have full sway in your life, in your heart, in your mind and thoughts, in your actions. It's letting Me flow through you, freely and completely.

175. This is what it means to you: It means you must let go of everything that would hold you back. You must let go and let Me flow through you freely. Through the keys you have power to rise above anything and everything that would hold you down or make things difficult.

176. Rising above to you, dear love, means there's no turning back, there's no halfway, there's no almost, there's no "thus far and no further." It means I want you; I must have you totally‚ completely, wholly, always. I want total control. I want your mind, your heart, your spirit, and your body to do with as I please. I want to be in you. I want free rein‚ no holds barred. I want you—every single fiber of your being.

177. What rising above means for you is yielded­ness. It means you yielding fully and com­pletely to My Spirit. It means you're Mine to have and to do with as I please. It means My power and life and glory will be manifested through you. It means power and fire and life and love. It means satisfaction, joy and fulfillment, knowing you're fulfilling your destiny. (End of message from Jesus)

The Foundation Is Yieldedness

178. (Jesus speaking: ) The primary action you need to take right now in order to advance in learning the art of rising above is to yield to Me in all the little things that come up throughout the day. There are many keys to learning to rise above, yet the foundation of each one is based in yieldedness. Yield to Me in all things, big and small, remembering if you don't yield in the little things, you'll never be able to yield in the bigger things.

179. There are many tips I have already given to you about rising above in My Word:

*Start with a clean heart.

*Make the decision you want to rise above.

*Know you're weak and rely on My mercy.

*Shun all wrong and ungodly attitudes.

*Depend on Me.

*See every difficulty as an opportunity to rise above.

*Let My Spirit rest fully on you.

*Live in My Word.

*Be a doer of the things I say.

*Ask Me everything.

*Give no place to the Devil.

*Let My divine nature rule in you.

*Call on the power of the keys.

*All of these. Yet it all comes back to yieldedness. (End of message from Jesus.)

Step-by–step Battle Plans

180. (Jesus speaking:) I will give you specific guidelines and instruction on what hurdles you must cross on a day-by–day basis, for each day new things will present themselves and it will be necessary for you to rise above. I will give you ample practice on matters to rise above. Yet you must daily follow these two things:

1. Start each day by coming to Me, and I will make it clear what you must focus on that day. If you will zero in on asking Me everything, you can't go wrong, for as you ask Me everything, I will then be giving you step-by-step guidelines on what needs attention moment by moment.
2. Yield every day to the things I show you. It all starts with yieldedness. It does no good to ask Me for guidance and then to let it lie. You must ask and act‚ receive from Me and then do.

181. Listen every day and then yield every day; don't let one opportunity pass you by. When you don't feel the strength or the power within you to yield, lean on Me, lean on your helpers, call on the keys, and receive the power that is within you. I want to help you rise above in many ways throughout the day‚ right now in your life. Listen daily and yield. Don't let an opportunity pass you by. Focus on a "do it now revolution" in your life, and then all the other things will fall into place.

182. Don't make a move without getting My direction, and then act on it. Yield to it each time. Come to Me in your next personal prayer time, and I will give you some tips and pointers on how to safeguard yourself in asking Me everything and in not making a move without My direction.

183. It's not that if you miss once you'll never again be able to rise above. But yielding is a prerequisite for being able to rise above at the time. That's nothing new—it's a principle of My Spirit that if you're not yielded, you can't claim the same power. The Enemy is the one who would try to convince you that if you can't do it all the time‚ you shouldn't ever do it. You just need to rebuke him, pray for the grace to yield at the moment, and then claim the rise-above power! It's yours! It's meant to make your life easier, not discourage you! I love you! (End of message from Jesus)

Grace for the Little Things …

184. (Jesus speaking:) Rising above doesn't necessarily mean a visible rising, where others can see that you have great spiritual strength to overcome. Sometimes it's an inner strength‚ peace‚ and grace that I give you. I give you the peace, wisdom, and faith to take the next steps. As decisions come before you, I speak to your heart and help you to make the right ones. As choices come before you, I point you in the right direction. (End of message from Jesus)

No Matter What!

185. (Jesus speaking:) Please don't think negatively of yourself and think you're not good enough, spiritual enough, strong enough, Word-filled enough, loving enough, to rise above. Because no matter what, remember it's Me and My strength that will help you, and that I will give you the strength and the grace to carry on. So rest in My arms, My dear one, My little one. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. The Evil One will not have strength to bring you down, to prevent you from rising above. Because rising above is a work of My grace; you have only to let Me. Let Me give you the grace, the counsel‚ the wisdom, the love, the understanding that I have for you. Rest, My dear one; this gift is for you. Let Me love you and give it to you. (End of message from Jesus.)

Training on the Obstacle Course of Life …

186. (Jesus speaking: ) I'm giving you the power to rise above by faith from many of your personal weaknesses—negative thinking, sensitivity, and discouragement. It's not My will that you have them. It's the Enemy who holds you back and keeps you from having these victories in your life; My will is to have you rise above!

187. It's like an obstacle course in physical training. The goal is not to prevent you from getting to the end by placing obstacles in your way, but the goal is to help you grow in strength with each obstacle so that you can easily breeze through the course eventually. The goal is that you get to the end and are a stronger person for it, full of more faith and confidence in what you can do and achieve. I can't remove the obstacles and let you just stroll down to the end; you must fight to climb over or crawl through each and every one, and thus be strengthened and grow.

188. I'm telling you that you can do it! The obstacle course is not too difficult. You can't sit down and cry that you can't do it‚ nor can you avoid the course and expect to grow. I'm giving you the knowledge now that if you want to do it, you can do it. You can! And you must if you want to progress. Take each obstacle as it comes and pray for My guidance and direction on how and what you should do about it. Know that you can do it, that there is a way, and determine that you will do it.

189. I will never make it so difficult that you can't do it, nor that you should get discouraged. If you fail and despair‚ know that despair and discouragement are not My will or plan, and fight to keep trying. It will happen.

190. You must rise above the "I can't" cloud. "I can't" is a dark cloud that keeps many people hiding indoors for fear of the rain and storm. It's a cloud that tells you, "This is the end. You can't go above, and there's nothing beyond this." But you just have to determine by faith, walk by faith, soar by faith into the dark cloud, seeing nothing, knowing that the answer is above and beyond the cloud. Once you break through, you'll see the sun and know that it was possible, and then the next cloud will be easier to go through.

191. Keep going by faith. Your will and determination will play a major part in how quickly you progress. Determine and do. Know that it is possible. All things are possible, and you can do all things. No one achieves anything without effort and trying and pushing themselves beyond what they think they can do. No one wins by strolling along. No one wins the race by never training and never pushing their limits until their limits become the norm. And then they push for new limits! This is how champions are made. They are made—by hard work and pushing!

192. Pray for My direction as to which obstacle you should tackle first, and then go to work on it! Read, study, pray‚ get prayer, work on it. Each time you fail to get over an obstacle, stop and pray and ask for My counsel, as your Coach, on what you did wrong. I can tell you what you could do differently or how to proceed. One thing at a time. One obstacle at a time. Do it! (End of message from Jesus.)

Putting Skin on It

More practical applications of how to rise above
in specific areas

193. (Jesus speaking:) You can overcome negativity‚ missing other people too much‚ and extreme discouragement by rising above. In the course of your life, there will be many obstacles and difficulties to rise above, but for right now, today, all you need to think about is hurdling whatever obstacles are currently in the way‚ whether they be in the way of spending the time you need with Me, or in the way of being completely happy and fulfilled. These are the obstacles of:

1. Laziness—which is the biggest hindrance to your time with Me, and also hinders asking Me everything;
2. Extreme discouragement—which causes you to feel too bad for Me and My love, and makes you doubt your channel;
3. Negativity—which is closely related to discourage­ment, because once you entertain a negative thought it doesn't stop there, but goes on and on until you take a positive stand against it.

194. I know you're aware of these things and you're working on them. I'm enumerating them here so that you can have My specific promise to you that I will help you rise above each and every one of these obstacles, as you continue seeking Me about how to do that‚ and then following the counsel I give you.

195. You've made progress on the positive front, but I want to totally replace all the negativity with a beautiful gift of positiveness—the ability to see the good in any given situation. This will take time, but know that I have this in store for you. So when you get discouraged about it and feel you aren't making any progress, just remember that anything wonderful can happen in that little margin of time when you don't give up, and victory—meaning a complete and total metanoia in this area—will be yours.

196. As for missing people to the degree you do, I'm using this to help you pray more for others, both your immediate loved ones as well as the different prayer requests that are sent around. You have been praying more for people, and though you still have a long way to go in this area‚ you just have to keep trying. Turn all the hurt into blessings for others, and see if you won't be blessed along the way.

197. And with the channel issue, know that you just have to keep at it. Keep filling your heart with My Words on the subject, and keep practicing at every opportunity. Strive to keep the right attitude toward it—one of thankfulness, awe and gratitude at this marvelous gift I've bestowed on all of My precious brides. Fight the temptation to see it as a scary or burdensome thing, for it is indeed your lifesaver, and will continue to be more and more as the days go by.

198. I will speak to you all you need to know, so please trust that I know what I'm doing‚ and that even though you don't feel you have a good, reliable, exercised or clear channel, as long as you're doing your part, I will speak to you, and it will be just what I want you to hear and when I want you to hear it. (End of message from Jesus)

199. (Jesus speaking:) For you, rising above starts with coming more fully to the realization of your own limits and of your own weakness. You've just begun to fully grasp what I meant by being weak. You're just now starting to wake up to this point that was there all along. It's all right if you were slow to understand; I had other things I was trying to do in your life. But now that it's time for this lesson, I want you to get behind it all the way.

200. Even the way you personally interpreted this Letter ("Rise Above") when it first came out was wrong in many ways. You got it right when you first read it, but because you didn't reread it as I instructed the Family to do, you started missing the point somewhere along the line. You've taken only one aspect of rising above and thought that that one point covered the whole revelation, but it doesn't.

201. You've interpreted rising above to just mean being quick to rebound from battles and difficulties, to be resilient and not let much get you down. While this is part of the revelation and while it is certainly a skill I have gifted you with, there is so much more to it. Please be open now to My counsel as I show you how you can understand the full scope of this revelation.

202. First of all, you should reread the Letter, highlighting parts, and pulling key quotes the way you do with other GNs. Next, you should especially zero in on the parts that deal with weakness, with being weak, and learning to let Me live in you. This has been a hard concept for you to grasp—that of where to draw the line between flesh and spirit; when to fight against the Devil, but when to not let it be your own strength. It's a touchy line, a sensitive balance. Everyone to some extent uses the arm of the flesh more than they should, even if they think they're fully surrendered to Me.

203. Until we get all together in Heaven and the spiritual becomes as real to you as the physical is now, it's always going to be difficult to grasp how to try your best and yet make it My best, how to just relax and let Me do it without becoming lazy and lackadaisical. I'm glad that you're rereading the "Weakness" series, and if you'll reread the "Rise Above" Letter and look at it especially from that angle, you'll grasp it all the more fully.

204. Now, how does this revelation apply to you? In what ways do you need to rise above? I'd say that there are more applications of this than you're aware of. Let Me simply say that a hurdle doesn't have to be a big one for you to have to rise above it. You can even leap the little ones faster if you have My strength beneath you, pushing you upwards.

205. Having My strength behind you is the most important application of this Letter for you. Learning to be weak in My hand is the most important thing you could learn from it. Because it's when you stop trying that I can start doing‚ and that's what needs to happen. But at the same time, I don't want you to stop trying altogether so that you're not asking Me to help you, and then you're not strong through your weakness‚ but you're just plain weak and helpless. That's not the idea either. You need to continue to study and seek and search and mine for the hidden truths, and learn to grasp this sometimes tricky spiritual principle. (End of message from Jesus)

Rise Above Reality!

206. (Mama:) I'm sure that wondering whether you'll be able to continue in your ministry for the long haul is a battle many of you face. The Enemy tries to discourage you or make you feel that you're not really accomplishing much where you are‚ or convince you that if you just moved to greener pastures, things would be so much easier for you. Of course, there's a time and place when the Lord might use the difficulties of your present situation to get you inspired about moving on. But more often than not, those feelings of dis­contentment or discouragement are likely from the Enemy, who is trying to take you away from your place of fruitful service and the Lord's highest will for you. It's very important to get the Lord's mind on any feelings you're having‚ and find out whether they're something that He's trying to get through to you about, or whether they're an attack of the Enemy, or something that has come in through your unyieldedness‚ or whatever the case may be. Then you can focus your energy on doing whatever the Lord tells you is the solution, and rise above! Praise the Lord!

207. (Jesus speaking:) Everyone suffers battles and endures afflictions in order to do My will, and the battle that you are suffering in your present situation is a small sacrifice to pay for the great fruit which is borne when you are in My highest will, doing what I know will bear the greatest fruit. That is something that you often have to take by faith. The key is to first of all seek Me and receive My counsel as to whether or not you are in My will. Once you know that, realize that the Enemy will fight you with all the power he can muster‚ attempting to dissuade you, distract you, or get you to a place of lesser fruitfulness.

208. It's these trials and tests of life that force you to rise above! If everything were easy, would you be forced to depend on My power to the same extent? Would you be as hungry for My answers? Would you be as willing to obey and do whatever it is that I ask of you?

209. Human nature is such that it tries to do things itself, until it comes to the end of its strength. I sometimes have to bring you to that point to force you into the position of desperation and willingness to do whatever it takes to get the victory, to bear the fruit, to pull through the situation. Once I get you to the point of desperation, when you know that you can't make it on your own, you then become willing to receive My answers and solutions. My answers often involve personal change or sacrifice, and that is why sometimes I don't give them to you until you're very desperate—because up until that point, you would not be ready to receive them.

210. Sometimes I have to test you and see if you're willing to keep going just for Me, so I take all the other props away. I test you to see if you're here not for the obvious fruit that is being borne‚ not for the loved ones who surround you or for any reason other than the fact that I've asked you to be here in this spot, and I have a purpose and a plan in it all. Once I see that you're willing to stick it out simply because I asked it of you, then you've passed the test and the victory can begin!

211. Please know that I understand in full the sacrifice that it is to live wholly for Me, and I appreciate it. I appreciate every day that you get up and do your work, even though there are other things that you feel might be more exciting, or even more useful.

212. I understand it all, My love, and I honor you and thank you for it. Please know that nothing escapes Me. Every little bit is seen and noticed, and every little tiny sacrifice will be repaid in full, one hundredfold. If you don't see all the rewards and blessings now, that just means there's all the more to come in the future. You have so much to look forward to because you've chosen My best above all your own desires, thoughts, or dreams.

213. It's not My will for you to be sad. Even though there are sacrifices involved in living for Me, some of them very big and lasting and continual‚ it is My will for you to be happy. It is My desire to bless you, to reward you, to give you a taste even here and now of all that I have in store for you in the future as a reward for your faithfulness to Me. But you must be willing to receive those rewards. You must choose to look for them.

214. When you choose to see the good, to count your blessings, then the friendships I send your way‚ the opportunities, the little gifts of love I shower you with continually are very obvious to you. You see and feel My love through them, and they make your way light. But when you take your eyes off of those good things and you start concentrating on the sacrifices and the bumps in the road, things can start looking pretty negative. You can start feeling that maybe I don't really love you so much after all‚ that maybe I'm more interested in breaking and crushing you than I am in rewarding you, and on and on the lies go. Everything starts appearing as a sacrifice or a punishment or a negative experience. You can start to look at your work like that too—the wonderful, fulfilling work that I've given you—as something to be dreaded or avoided. You can start to feel that it's not possible for you to be happy or fulfilled doing it, and so the discontentment sets in, and you begin to look for greener pastures, not realizing that this is all an attack of the Enemy on your fruitfulness for Me.

215. You can start to resent the fact that you feel I'm not meeting your needs, or you look around and lose faith that I not only can meet them‚ but I want to, and I'm more than capable. In short, you lose faith in My ability to care for you. All of these thoughts give place to the lies of the Enemy, and your mindset slowly becomes more and more negative.

216. You must choose to believe My Words above what you see around you. You must decide that you're going to base your thoughts not on what you feel, but on what I've told you. If you do this‚ you'll see and feel the victory. You'll be granted the power to rise above. You'll find that there are no impossibilities for you.

217. All it takes is choosing to believe Me, and then taking the steps of obedience that I put before you. You'll find that I'll do the miracles, and I can actually transform things before your eyes to become as I have said they would be. This is the power to rise above. You can actually transform the situation around you by believing Me, by trusting and obeying Me, by choosing to believe My Word above what you see and feel around you. These are the facts. This is what you must now base your mindset and steps of obedience on.

218. If you ask Me to help you, and then fight to change your mindset, your life will not be all sadness or trying to maintain or forget about the sacrifices involved. I will engineer things so that you will be very happy, you will have your needs met, and I will even do extra things for you to reward you. You will forget about the sacrifices, because I will pay you back abundantly. And remember that when I pay you back to the point where you don't feel that you've made a sacrifice, that's where it has only reached one percent of your reward. My promise is to repay one hundred­fold, so there's much, much, much more yet to come! I love to spoil My brides, those who give Me everything.

219. If you feel this attack of the Enemy on your life and fruitfulness, ask for united prayer. Pray against the mindset that you've built up over the months. Pray against letting the Enemy in in the future. Pray for the power to rise above. Pray against pride and jealousy. Pray against discontentment. Pray for the new and greater anointing that I want to give you. Learn to use the keys and harness their power for a change of mindset, a totally positive and praiseful mindset. And then watch Me do the miracle.

220. I will do it for you, and you will feel like a new creature. You'll be happy. It will come easier to you. And you will experience the era of action and all that I want to do with you and through you! The best is yet to come‚ My loves. The best is yet to come! (End of message from Jesus.)

221. (Mama: ) As I was working on these GNs for you, one of our dear young staff members sent me a personal prophecy that she received after reading the "Conviction vs. Compromise" GNs, which I think many of you will be able to relate to and benefit from.

222. (Jesus speaking:) The call of My Spirit to you now is a call to recommit yourself to dis­cipleship. I see every detail of your life and heart, I know about it all, and I care a great deal. It all matters to Me, and I do want to give you answers—answers to each of the questions on your heart and mind. Yet I also want you to be aware that a large part of the problems and issues and battles you're faced with will be solved through your simple rededication and re-evaluation of your life and heart as a disciple. Can't you feel the change already? Since I've been speaking to your heart through these recent GNs, since I've personally called you to recommit yourself to the basics of discipleship, hasn't some of the heaviness been lifted?

223. You see, when things are in proper perspective and you have your priorities in the right place, then everything about life somehow "falls into place," at least somewhat. For a while now‚ little by little, you have let your perspective and priorities drift, and I haven't been in first place in every area of your life. There are several ways in which you let Me get pushed out of that place, because you were focused more on yourself, on your own needs, on your own desires, goals, ambitions. It's not that your hopes or expecta­tions or desires were so wrong or so unreasonable; the problem is just that you let yourself get focused more on yourself than on Me, and on your own little world than on the big picture.

224. Now I am calling you to more simplicity—the simplicity of forsaking all in your heart to follow Me fully; the simplicity of forsaking some of the trappings that have complicated and cluttered your life, the things you have let become too important to you. That's the big picture when it comes to being My disciple. That's the big goal, the focal point‚ the crux of it all. If that is straight and clear in your heart and mind, that you are above all things My disciple, My servant‚ My slave if you will‚ then you have the big picture as far as your life and service to Me. Then you can look at everything else in perspective and the "cares of life" are far less overwhelming.

225. Recommitting to discipleship is at the heart of rising above. You can only rise above the weights and drags and discouragements of life when your heart and mind and eyes are fixed on Me above all things. If I am anywhere less than first place in your life you can't truly rise above, because there will always be something pulling you down, pulling you away from Me. But as you turn toward Me, toward My light, and open yourself up to Me, as you put Me in the true center of your life—and not only by mental acceptance‚ but by your words, your deeds, and the way you spend your time—then you are given the power to rise above‚ to be an overcomer.

226. You have the heart and spirit of an overcomer, My love. You have the power, through My power and because of your own dedication and the commitments you have made, even though long ago, which you have faithfully held to. But you are also easily distracted, and there are a multitude of things which pull your heart and mind away from focusing fully on Me.

227. What is the purpose of your life, your exist­ence? It's to love Me, and to love and serve others. You have to keep that in the forefront of your thoughts and mind in all your decisions. Unfortunately you've let some of that selfish spirit of the world influence your mind and heart. Not to the degree that it has some, who have taken things so far as to want to leave the Family to get jobs and make money and buy houses and so forth, but in a subtler way, through a sort of "me first" and "look out for number one" attitude that has crept in. That attitude obviously stands directly in the way of putting Me first. It is what leads to most of your other problems or distractions. If yourself is first, then how can I be first? That's the crux of that matter, and that's what needs to change and is changing now in your life.

228. I'm calling you to leave your self and your own desires, as well as your own opinions‚ further behind. I'm calling you to be My slave, My robot‚ willing to do whatever I want, and to do it happily, rather than arguing and reasoning and negotiating all the time. I'm calling you to seek for the good of the Family, the good of the Kingdom, the good of lost souls, above your own good and your own satisfaction. I'm asking you to, within your Home here, let the needs of others and of the Home and work overall become more important to you.

229. Let Me open your eyes and expand your horizons. For both within the Home, and within your ministry‚ there is much more you could do and more ways in which you could serve more effectively, if only your mindset were different, if only you wouldn't be so set in your mind as to what things you do or don't do or can or can't do.

230. You've been bound with chains forged by the Enemy—chains of lethargy, of apathy, of indiffer­ence, of selfishness, of carnal thinking, of nega­tivity, of hopelessness. There is so much to hope for and look forward to! The future is as bright as all My promises! There's nothing that the Enemy or your enemies or anyone can do to thwart My plans and defeat My program. We will overcome! We will be victorious! You are on the winning team, and we are going to go places! It's up to you, though, what kind of player you'll be on the team—whether you'll be a member who mostly sits on the sidelines and cheers and fills in for the other players every now and then; or whether you'll be one of the star players, one who gets out there and runs and pushes for all you're worth, and gives it your all! I'm not just talking about pushing in your work here, and I hope you understand that. Focusing too much on the work is another way that you can push Me aside from being in first place, and a very common mistake that is made. I'm talking about your overall life—about your work‚ your time with Me, your interactions with others—everything being filled with the zeal and dedication of being My disciple.

231. It's the joy of salvation that you've been feeling the lack of, and I want to restore that to you now. There are other issues and problems in your life‚ but these will fall into place far more smoothly once you have that joy of your salvation once again coursing through your spiritual veins. It will bring you life, light and nourishment.

232. How do you get that? How do you feel that? Start by rededicating yourself to Me in spirit. Even now, this very minute‚ you can rededicate your heart and spirit to Me. You can place it all in My hands. You can determine and commit to giving Me first place. Start with your time. That's what really counts. Whatever matters to you, you spend time on. Fight to take more time with Me, to take good quality feeding, refreshing‚ renewing time every single day reading My Words, hearing from Me, praising Me‚ loving Me, communing with Me in prayer. Do each of these things every day. Maybe sometimes you'll take a half hour for each, maybe sometimes just a few minutes‚ but if you are striving to at least touch on each of these facets of your spiritual life, and seeking Me for how to make these times we have together really count, then I assure you that you will be so much better off. You will be happier, you will be more efficient and effective—and above all, you will be pleasing Me, you will be serving Me wholeheartedly as a true disciple, and thus your witness and power and effectiveness will be so much greater.

233. It's not that you haven't been a disciple all along, but I want you to now be a more active one, more forceful in spirit. It's that forcefulness and determina­tion in spirit that will combat lethargy of spirit. Pray for that. Seek for that. It's the keys of the Kingdom that will help bring about that assertiveness and vigor in your life.

234. I want you to determine and will to fight for changing things in your own life, and in turn in your Home and ministry, so as to suit them more to My design, to My plan, to My highest will. Be willing to be a fool for Me, to be a robot for Me‚ even if it makes you feel stupid or like you're not yourself any more. You'll be a better self, a self more filled with Me, and that's what really matters. (End of message from Jesus.)

235. (Mama:) Dear loves, please take time to study this priceless counsel from the Lord. Reread the GNs and mark them. Pull quotes that speak to you personally. Make a list of questions to ask the Lord regarding how specific points apply to your life or situation. Don't just read it once, be inspired by it temporarily‚ and then carry on business as usual. This counsel can change your life—it can help you be happier, more fulfilled, and more useful in your service to our loving Husband! Claim the power of the keys for help to change in the areas you need to change in, and for strength to rise above! I love you!

Love always in our Miracle Worker,

Mama

Quotes to put throughout this Letter:

Just because you get hit with discourage­ment, with fear, and with attacks, doesn't mean that you're hopeless. It just means that I'm giving you little training lessons that will help you to rise above. It's as if you were playing a little game where some barrels or balls were rolling across the floor and you have to jump over them and you win points. The balls signify your battles; they come‚ and you can hop over them; and if you're tired I can give you a hand. It doesn't mean that you're losing the game if the balls (or battles) roll across your floor‚ you just don't have to let them knock you over—you can jump over them! That's rising above! That's not letting these things move you. It's staying happy‚ cheerful, praiseful, and in a good state of mind if you just hop over them!

Listen to My words of faith and encouragement and allow them to rejuvenate your soul! Don't believe My correction and then ignore My encourage­ment, for you need both to be able to rise above and to continue on. You must learn, and then you must accept My encouragement. Don't just accept My correction but shun My love. You need both to be able to have the strength to carry on and to rise above all circum­stances‚ especially the discouragement.

You need to come to Me, find My answers, and then act upon them. That's how you rise above, and that's how I wish for you to be an overcomer‚ in this day of victory!

You look upon these days as days of trial, but instead they are days of victory as I bring you to points in your lives that make each of you face your weaknesses and rise above in victory. So I look upon these days as days of victory!

You need to step out by faith more with difficulties that frighten you. To do that, each time a situation comes up, ask Me how to handle it; ask Me for each step, and follow. As you follow those steps carefully and prayerfully‚ not avoiding the steps, but actually following, then you will rise to full victory—victory not only over the situation, but victory in this weak area of your life.

Let Me help you. Let Me make things easier for you. Take this gift that I'm offering you and use it to the full. Help Me to help you.

Be determined to perfect this art and fight to learn how. I will help you, but I can only do so much. I can give and I can help, but you must do your part if you're going to take full advantage of all I have for you. The more you fight to rise above‚ the more you'll see just how wonderful it really is, how much of a help it is, and how much you need it and literally can't do without it.

Shame and condemnation is not of Me and is counterproductive. I want you to take all that you've learned and will learn about this new skill‚ and apply it to this area.

I want you to learn how to rise above the obstacle of thinking that My words of commenda­tion apply to everyone but you. I want you to get over the feeling that it may be okay for other people to just rest in My arms, safe in the knowledge that I know they're trying their best, but you still have to prove something in your own strength. I want you to not be such a Cain, but have the humility and the faith to be an Abel.

You need to be humble enough to accept My forgiveness, mercy, and encouragement‚ even when we both know that you haven't earned it, and have faith to believe that I mean what I say. When I say that there's no need to feel like you're falling short in a certain area, then that's that. You don't need to be telling yourself that that prophecy was just your own mind letting yourself off easy, and even when I'm encouraging you‚ that I don't really mean it and that I still expect more from you than I'm letting on.

I want you to try hard in your life and to do your best, but I want your motivation to be one of love and of trying to always do more because you love Me—not because pervading everything you have this sneaky suspicion that you're never quite there and that I'm harboring some hidden resentment against you. That's not the case and will never be the case. It's a silly, stupid trap of the Enemy‚ and one of his oldest ones at that.

One thing that you can learn is to enjoy the journey. Sometimes you're so destination-focused that you can't relax and enjoy the scenery. Learn the balance of enjoying what I'm doing with you, while at the same time staying focused on the goals I've given you.

The sky's the limit, so don't box Me in! Keep seeking Me out and let Me blow your wee finite mind with what I have up My sleeve. The way to rise above is to stay on the aircraft and see how high we can go.

For you, rising above would mean being more Heavenly minded and not so easily encumbered by the cares and trials of this life. You have a tendency to worry too much and to analyze things, when there's actually no need to. Because you do this so often, your mind gets weary and you become weighed down‚ and it really gets to you. So your way of rising above would be to think more in the ways of the spirit, leaving the flesh behind and renewing your mind with My voice and My Words to you!

Rising above has many forms. To one it is to find happiness in a situation. To another, or at another time, it is to have the strength to cling to Me through the storm. To another it is to go through the storm‚ strapped to the wheel of the ship, thrilling at the waves and laughing at the sea's vain attempts to overwhelm him because he has the confidence that I will see him through no matter what.

To another or at another time, to rise above is to go on to a new day, full of faith and carrying nothing of the past and its defeats and pain and sorrow. It's letting Me wash them all away in the knowledge that whether you can see it now or understand it now or not, the past has truly worked together for good and can now be left behind as an old garment that has served its purpose and can be discarded. Rejoice for the blessing it was in its time, but let go of it to reach for the new garment that I hold out for you to take.

I want you to rise above the frustrations and feelings of hopelessness that try to drag you down. I want you to point your antenna straight up to Me, for it is then that all else fades into oblivion and there is only you and Me. It is only then that I can open your eyes to the new vision.

To rise above for you is to come before Me without any desire of your own. Hand Me everything. Sit down at My feet and wait on Me, gazing constantly into My face, waiting with expectancy till I show you what to do. You've tried to do this for short periods, but then you soon jump up, grab the problems, and run back out to try to fix them somehow. Just let go of them and trust Me that in My perfect time all will be as it should be. As you do this, I will be able to bring about the spiritual change in you that will make this your strong point. I will also be able to bring about the physical changes.

Rising above for you is to not allow your worries, fears and anxieties to overcome you, but rather to keep your heart and mind on Me. It means for you to be more Heavenly minded and not so earthly minded. It means you giving Me all the burdens of your heart and not trying to carry them. It means you looking to Me more for your peace and serenity. It means when you start to worry or fret, that you stop right then and take time with Me, giving Me your cares.

I love you so deeply that I want to take these burdens off of you and carry them for you. In rising above you are coming to Me and letting Me carry your burdens, and I'm giving you peace and tranquility, as well as love, understanding, wisdom, discernment‚ fortitude, strength and all that you need. That's quite a tradeoff, isn't it? So you see‚ it's worth rising above!

Don't try to do things in the arm of the flesh. You have a lot of energy and a lot of talents, but you'll wear out real fast if you don't take time to come to Me. This is all part of rising above—coming to Me more often.

In your love for others you get too involved in their lives so that you not only feel for them, but you take on their cares. I want you to pray for the situation and then let go of it. In doing that you are rising above.

You must first focus on not letting yourself get discouraged. This is the foundation on which you stand, and if it crumbles, which it often does, all else suffers. You cannot build on that. In this you need outside help and prayer. Ask your loved one, or someone close who will understand‚ to be on call, so that when you tell them you're getting discouraged, they'll come to your aid in prayer—not to discuss the object of your discouragement, for that's not the issue; the discouragement itself is the issue. There will always be new issues that cause discouragement, but being able to rise above the discouragement and stand on solid ground in victory is the goal.

There's never a need for discouragement; it never bears good fruit. So know right now that it's not My will, and that discouragement itself is the obstacle that you need to overcome. Realize that you can do it. Discouragement is a dark, energy-draining force. It saps you completely and leads you to sin by murmuring and opening yourself to all kinds of unfruitful influences. It's extremely bad and dangerous. I don't want you to be discouraged, and you can pray your way to victory over it each and every time.

Feed your faith. Feed your spirit. Feed your heart and mind with positive‚ uplifting, encour­aging words of love and life. You need to spend more time letting things soak in.

I wish for you to soar, to rise and fly far above those things which seek to drag you down! Jump into My arms and let's take flight! Let Me carry all the burdens‚ the worries about your children—those in the Family and those in the System. I want you to fly high above all these cares of life and put them all in My capable hands to take care of. In order to do this, you must be sure to commune with Me daily‚ that I might lift your spirit into the Heavenlies, so that you may partake of My Spirit, My calm, My peace. Then you will slowly‚ slowly rise, held in My arms and encompassed by My love. After your special times with Me‚ having imbibed Me and My love, you will go about your day with a peace that passes all understanding, which will keep your heart and mind close to Me. We will be this close—like two little lovebirds—happily singing together and cuddling all the day long.

What hinders you from being able to rise above? It's simple, My love. The only thing that hinders you is that you don't spend enough time with Me each day—real quality time in which you pour out your heart to Me in prayer, and listen for My answers on every topic that seeks to drag you down. You must give yourself to Me more wholeheartedly—your time, your attention, your love, your praise. I know you give a lot to Me already, but I desire even more from you, for I love you so and crave more of your love and attention. So will you do that for Me? I love you, My little lovebird.

By letting things pass that are not so important, you give Me the opportunity to help you to rise above the circumstances and to let Me work.

Rising above is scary, because it lifts you out of the realm of the natural and into the realm of the miraculous and supernatural. You can't stand on the old ground of what you could do, or what others could do‚ but you rise above to stand only on thin air, or to rest in My arms as I lift you up out of the natural realm and carry you through the difficulty. This is rising above.

Strive to hold on to this state by yielding and calling to Me. It's a state of beauty, and I love it when you're like this, so fully Mine. Thank you, My love, for giving Me all. Continue in this way and I will continue to pour into you and fill you to overflowing‚ so that you never run dry of My love or My help in all that you do. You've found the secret of trust and it's oiling your heart and your spirit. It's helping you to continue to rise above.

This is a priceless gift that I'm giving you—something that you not only will need in the future, but that you need right now. This is a love gift from Me to you, and I'm so happy that I can now give it to you, because I know that as you learn this art, it's going to do wonders for you. It's going to be such a blessing in your life. It's going to help make things easier for you, and I'm very happy about this because I love you and want to make things as easy for you as possible.

So take this gift of love from Me and work to perfect this art. The more you practice using it‚ the better you'll become at it and the easier it will become for you to rise above, away from the worries, cares, and strains, and into My arms where you'll find rest and strength to your soul.

I'm the Answer Man and I want to give you the answers and solutions to your questions and problems. It's just a matter of calling Me. That's not so hard‚ is it? I know‚ though, that when you're busy and you get going with your day, it's hard to see how you can find the time to stop and come to Me‚ to rise above. But, Honey, please believe Me when I say that I will not only give you peace‚ understanding, wisdom, and knowledge in how to sort these things out, but I will also give you the joy and the ideas you feel you so lack. So again you see the great benefits in coming to Me.

What My promise means to you is that whether you feel like you can cope with what's going on around you or not, the answer is that you can. I've given you a way of escape so that you can rise above the trials and battles of life and become rejuvenated in the spirit with Me. This is a great tool and weapon for you to make use of. You may not be able to completely avoid the battles, but you receive a great advantage by being able to have this peace in the midst of storm. I am with you always, and no matter where you are or what's happening to you‚ you'll be able to remove yourself from the trials you face to be encouraged and strengthened by Me and refilled with My power.

(Dad speaking:) The Lord has given you the latest weapons and the tools to do the job, including the keys to the Kingdom, which will now help you to do what you could never do before! He's given each Family member these priceless tools, these Endtime weapons. So you guys really, really have a lot to be thankful for. If you could just see it from up Here, how important and how powerful these gifts are, and their magnitude! These gifts can not only shake the whole Earth, but can shake the Heavens too! They can move the Heavens at your command. If you could just try to fathom the power, or the potential power, that the Lord has given you through them, it would really help to increase your faith in any given situation and to rest and trust in Him. "There's nothing He won't do for His children—the children of David!" You guys are special‚ and He's given you these special weapons. Nobody else, nobody living, no other Christian group has what He's given you!

So hold on to the keys the Lord has given you, and use and exercise them, and they'll increase your faith like never before! They'll draw you closer to our sweet Savior and Husband like never before. They'll open your eyes to the workings of the spirit and His spirit world like never before. They'll help you to rise above and overcome any circumstances or obstacles like never before. They'll help you to love one another and to love His lost children like never before. They'll help your unity and the unity in our Homes around the world like never before. In fact, they'll solve all your problems‚ lift all your burdens, supply all your needs‚ and make you feel His Spirit in your life like never before! (End of message from Dad.)

Question: I know the keys are of the Lord, but when Dad says they'll solve all our problems‚ lift all our burdens‚ and supply all our needs‚ I thought that was more of the Lord's role as the creator of the keys. What's the balance between honoring the keys and honoring the Lord?

(Jesus speaking:) As David said, the keys will increase your faith and draw you closer than ever to Me, your Lord and Savior. When you draw closer to Me, and when your faith is increased, you can't help but praise Me and give Me the glory. The keys of the Kingdom make you more aware of the spirit world. They open a much more powerful connection to the power of Heaven.

I'm not worried about you beginning to worship the keys or give them too much credit, because they are Mine. They are a part of Me‚ a part of My Spirit, and you cannot use them if you are not one with Me and in My highest will. So you can focus on the keys all you want—they are the means to harnessing this great power I want to manifest through you. The power comes from Me, and will only be given to those who are intimate with Me and fully obeying Me, so there is no danger of becoming tripped off on their power. The minute you begin to lose focus of Who has made it possible‚ the power will wane. So no worries, My loves! Revel in the keys and the great power they give you; revel in My love for you in giving them to you! And never allow yourself to become distracted, for that is the day you will lose the power.

I don't mind you calling on the keys, for they are directly connected to Me, and in calling on them in My name and giving them honor, you are calling on Me and My power. (End of message from Jesus)

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