December 16, 2002

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MY FAITHFUL ONES

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

"God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah - how he appealed to God against Israel: Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me. And what was God's answer to him? I have reserved for Myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace."

Romans 11:2-5

Elijah, a human hero ... A man who was bold and courageous one day and another day fearful and wanting to die, feeling sorry for himself saying he was the only one left who was true to God. Does this speak to My Faithful Ones? One day full of expectation filled with courage and resolve and then plummeting into a state of depression feeling fearful, scared, exhausted, or defeated and even at times wanting to die and come be with Me. The tactics of the enemy have been many and you are seeing no "apparent" progress but I say unto you, do not lose heart! Remember what I have said, not to walk by "sight" as things "appear" but to look BEYOND what you see, through the eyes of faith.

How many of you have I heard say "I am just so weary." You feel, as Elijah, that you are alone ... Beloved, you are separated unto Me but you are Not in any way alone. As Elijah was not alone, neither are you! I have linked many of you together and I have done so for My purposes and this is a time regardless of how you are feeling when you 'must' reach out to the others who are in need of encouragement. Many of you feel at times that you are the only one who is suffering right now, BUT My Beloved, you are NOT! Open your eyes and see the ones who I have truly connected to you. The ones who are standing beside you 'and' with you and who are going through similar sufferings. As I said to my prophet Elijah, I say unto you - you are not alone. As it was in Elijah's day, there is today, a remnant chosen by My grace.

At this hardest part of your walk, keep your eyes on Jesus, for I say unto you that you shall reap both earthly and heavenly blessings that are reserved for My Faithful Ones. As I gave unto Elijah, I give unto you ....and for you to give to each other .... ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MY FAITHFUL ONES...

December 20, 2002

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:2-4

"Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast." Eph 2:8-9

My Faithful Ones are children of Faith, taking Me at My Word and living accordingly. But even so, many of My faithful ones are perplexed in this Hour. You have found that the harassments of the enemy are many, appearing as though he has singled you out and My Beloved, he has! You have come to your pinnacle time of testing. At this time many of you have lost hope and have even wondered about your salvation but even so you are finding, and have found, that I have not left you. I have not once let go - EVER - and you awaken to a new day renewed with hope once again. It seems amazing to you, for how can you be without hope one day and be extremely hopeful the next? How can this be? Because I AM with you and it was never My plan to let you fall. The hardest part for some is that you still try to rely on your own understanding ... My ways are NOT your ways and sometimes My instructions are not rational to your mind - your understanding. At these times you "must" turn to ME for all understanding and as I give you an instruction then you follow, BY FAITH. You were saved - by Faith, - a gift that I have freely given you and it is this gift that takes you into your destiny.

Beloved, your days may appear dreary but there is nothing so dreary that I cannot change it to brightness - IF - your total trust is ONLY in ME. There is not one broken heart that I cannot mend. There is not one heavy burden that I cannot help you bear. There is not one life so dark, that I cannot fill it with My light. There is not one sin that you cannot bring to Me.

Some of you see the carnal believers as achieving success and you feel like a failure. Beloved, success is not final and failure is not fatal. I have put MY desires in your heart, can I not bring them to pass?

Many of you are crying out for peace. I have said "Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid, for it is MY peace that I give unto you, not as the world gives but I give unto you." Have I not promised you a peace that "passes understanding?" A peace, that in the midst of your problems, you can not even begin to explain. MY peace that says NO MATTER the troubles, I AM there to support and protect you.

Many of you are in what appears as "impossible situations." Beloved I have allowed this because it is time for you to stop fighting the battles yourself. You have not sought to do so, but you have tried to resolve these problems using human efforts. You must fully realize just WHO I AM and that the battle is mine, saith the Lord. It is I, Who can change your despair to hope. It is I, Who can change you from having no confidence, to having confidence In Me. It is I, Who can help you see beyond the darkness and into the light. It is I, Who can give you hope for the present and vision for the future. It is I, Who can help you to forgive yourself. It is I, Who can help you to "FINALLY" let go of the past and move forward with Me.

In all of history, the world's ways are always unsure and indefinite. Uncertainty is the word of "this day" and everything is in turmoil. For you there is only one certainty and that is: I AM the Lord and I Change Not !!! I am not a man who can say one thing today and mean another tomorrow. For I AM the same - yesterday, today and forever... Beloved, there is only one way to be safe in this Hour and that is to be under My wings. I have been bringing you into My rest. Think of it this way, when you are tired, you lay down to rest and that is "safety" for your body. You are to be resting In ME, in MY safety and you will find that there is nothing that I cannot do for My faithful ones. - which brings Me back to the beginning ........

YOU ARE MY CHILDREN OF FAITH ... To have faith, you must have trust. To trust, you must first know what I have said, then you must believe it! Having faith with all your heart, not a "sometime thing" when all is going smoothly but constantly and consistently. Constantly open to Me, with hope, with trust, with prayer, with praise and with expectation. Beloved, I AM with you ... My angels are with you ... There is not one thing in this Hour to fear for whoever places their trust in Me shall be safe.

Beloved, I have given you My Love, pass it around. It was My desire to give you a new spirit and a new heart, My Heart. In this Hour, how is it possible to overlook wrong brought against you? It is by My love in your heart. I have given you everything. Look around you. Look at My creation ... Look at My majestic mountains, prairies and seas. Look at My beautiful animals. Look at your family who I have given you. Look at the true friends that I have brought your way to stand with you and beside you. "Above all" - look at My Son, Who I have given for you. Treasures beyond all that the world depicts as wealth. When you truly see this, you are walking out of any darkness and Walking Into the Light. Seeing My Love, Seeing My priorities, Seeing My Word as truth, Having My Faith ... and not only will you be walking into the light but you will be walking into your destiny.

Olivia Long