I heard “deluxe apartments” from an old TV show, The Jeffersons.

I remember the main character’s stage name was George and his wife Louisie. It seemed there was always some conflict and there was always this trying to keep up with the neighbors stuff going on.

George was always “on edge.” The Song came to mind…

“Oh, we’re movin’ on up to the East side,
To a deluxe apartment in the sky-high,
Yeah we’re movin’ on up to the East side.
We’ll finally get a piece of the pie.”

So why was this brought to memory Father, and what do YOU want to say?

“Some of My people live this way, “on the edge” all the time. Partly this is because of lack of healing or knowing the DEPTHS of My love, deep in their souls.

There is deep seated insecurity and unhealed rejection and woundedness in so many of my people, because the shepherds have become hirelings and have not HELPED HEAL my sheep.

They just tell them what to do, but even that is not enough, for they don’t want real relationship with the likes of many, that they claim to shepherd.

There isn’t the real relationship that I had with those I ministered to. Even I could not shepherd the whole lot, but there must be disciples to learn to shepherd under the shepherd who has been given the task to empower others for the work of the Kingdom.

I long to transform my Bride into a living breathing organism that moves and flows with the move of MY SPIRIT.

I want to be the Head, and not the visitor in My Church. So many of My children are caught up in selfish ambition, envy, and jealousy.”

“For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion ( unrest, disharmony, rebellioun) and all sorts of evil and vile practices,” James 3:16 AMP.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love,” 1 John 4:18 NKJV.

“This is because they have no idea HOW MUCH they are loved by ME. They are not LOVED ON, as I have loved on YOU.

Many have NEVER felt the love of a mother’s touch. Many have never felt LOVED or valued for who they are — and My Church wants to put Bandaids on gaping wounds.”

“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness (to greed for unjust gain); and from the prophet even to the priest, every-one deals falsely. They have healed also the wound of the daughter of My people lightly and neglectfully, saying, “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace,” Jeremiah 6:13-14 AMP.

“I Myself, am jealous for My Church! I want a Bride without stain or blemish. I will have what I AM coming for. My grace is sufficient for you. I AM here, and I AM not absent in mercy, as many of the people in My Church are.

My MERCY endures forever. My LOVE endures forever. I never run out of love for My children. My love NEVER fails.

I alone know all the pains and hurts of each person. So when you minister to them, remember to look to ME for what the roots of their pains are.

Do not presume by going by your own wisdom. Remember that helping them to know by experience is more valuable than speaking words. Please do not accuse and deride My children. Is that how you treat your own children?

Love that is spoken, but never manifested is worthless to the receiver. The receivers know it. But they are willing many times to compromise staying with false shepherds, because some attention to them in their pain is better than NO attention at all. Children learn this very early in life.

They learn to compromise, manipulate for attention, and to settle for what they can get. This nation is filled with dysfunctional parents because it has turned it’s heart from ME, the SOURCE of all life.

HOW will they know My love, unless YOU show it to them? I said, you are to judge a person by their FRUIT.

I did not say, judge them by their power, their gifts, their nice clothing. I did not say to submit yourselves to despotisms. So HONOR one another, but do as I WOULD HAVE YOU DO.

ASK and you shall receive all that you need to know. Many know what to say to MY people, but behind their backs, they are filled with dead men’s bones.

Be discerning My children, for the times have changed. Walk in the light as I AM in the light! SEEK to BE HOLY as I am HOLY!

Without holiness no one will see God. Put aside all COMPROMISE. Come aside and be with Me that I can transform you.

Look to ME as an example for how to treat your neighbor, your sister or brother in the faith. I AM LOVE, and I don’t speak to you in an accusing, vicious manner.

I don’t speak down to you so that I can feel like I am more powerful, or more holy even though I AM.

This is hypocrisy. Where you see more emphasis on the law than on My love, you will see religion. Where you see more emphasis on worldly love, than the law, you will see compromise.

Many snub their noses at the lost. Yet I am seeing that many of those you call “lost” are more loving to each other than those in My Church.

Come to ME and get all the LOVE you need, and all the wisdom you need for how to treat one another. Then obey!

Put in action the LOVE and GRACE.

I have given to you! I AM a God of Justice, and the Supreme Judge. Think about how YOU want to be treated and treat others in like manner. This is My “bottom line!””

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or fault-finding, and it will be given him,” James 1:5 AMP.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” John 13:34-35 NKJV.

Knowing God Through Love
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not KNOW God, for God is love……
…….. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. If someone says, “I love God,” and
hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” 1 John 4:7-8, 18, 20 NKJV.

In this verse where it says doesn’t KNOW God, that word KNOW Is the same word akin to genesis where a man took a woman onto himself and it would say and he “knew her.”

So what God is talking about here is intimacy with the Lord when he says KNOW. We know this because of Ephesians 3, because Jesus speaking thru Paul indicates in Ephesians that when we know the depth and breath and length and width of his love then we can be filled with the fullness of God Himself.

Love Your Neighbor
“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law,” Romans 13:8 NKJV.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life
“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more,” 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 NKJV.

The Enduring Word
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,” 1 Peter 1:22-23 NKJV.

“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous,” 1 John 3:11-12 NKJV.

First Published: November 9, 2003.

~ Priscilla Van Sutphin

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PRISCILLA VAN SUTPHIN is the founder of Upstream Ministries, California, online at www.upstreamca.org and blogtalkradio.com/ Upstream. Donate to Upstream: via secure Paypal by sending as gift to upstream.ca @me.com or send to: Upstream, PMB 545, 14311 Newport Blvd, Suite G, Tustin, CA 92780, USA.

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