Dearest Ones,
I have a message for you today which will encourage your hearts, for there is much yet to be done before I come, and Satan wants to discourage you. He sees you moving forward; he sees the beauty of your lives and the devotion you have for me, and he knows that if he cannot stop you and discourage you that soon the victory will have been won and that his doom is sure. Therefore, you are the center of his focus, and he is determined to discourage and dishearten you and distract you from the commitment you have made to me.
But as long as you look to me and listen only to my voice, you are secure from the tempters wiles. Although he is a tireless foe, and is determined to tempt and overpower you, he cannot harm you or take you out of my hands as long as you keep your eyes upon me, and the truth uppermost in your focus. You see, Satan's power is in lies and deception. As I have said in Scripture, "I am the way, the truth and the life." [John 14:6.] "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." [Matt. 11:28.] The rest that I give to you is not necessarily physical rest, although that is important also. But the rest that I offer to you is rest from worry, fear, shame, discouragement, and all the other ills of fallen mankind. I offer peace in the midst of the storms of life; but in order to have this you must spend time with me at our designated times of meeting, especially in your morning and evening devotions and upon the Sabbath hours. During these times I have planned spiritual food for you that is just what you need to refresh you and give you spiritual energy for that day. But all through the day you can be reaching out to me to receive ever-flowing water from the rock, and manna to feed your souls.
Too many people do not really firmly connect with me in the morning and lay all their burdens down at my feet for me to carry for them during the day. They read something quickly and perfunctorily and rush out the door still carrying their burdens and perplexities with them. As a result of not connecting with me in the morning, their journey through the day is heavier and more stressful than it would have been with me at the helm paving the way for them. When I give you rest, it is not rest from activity, but spiritual, emotional, and mental rest from worries and burdens you don't have to carry if you have me as your Counselor, Guide, and best Friend each day. Together we will still get the necessary things done - and even more than you expected - without the stress and worry that wears out your life forces.
But what about those who have already come to the place in their life's journey where they feel that they have already passed the meridian of their productivity and usefulness, and have nothing left but to wait for the end to come? I have good news for you! If I can resurrect the dead, I can provide new life for you now until I come! Some of you who are in your older years will yet live to see me come. The truth is that if I did not give supernatural strength to your life forces, no one young or old would be able to live through the end. There will be a great slaughter of men against men at the end because of the plagues and wars and natural disasters after the close of probation. But although it will be difficult for my people, yet I will put a hedge of protection around them and feed and care for them as I did for my people Israel as they were going through the desert to the Promised Land. And you too, are going to the heavenly Canaan, and I will provide for you everything you need as you pass through the Valley of Baca [Ps. 84:5-7].
So the topic for today is "courage." Take courage, my friends, for we are on our way to the Promised Land, and I am with you, even as I was with Moses and Caleb and Joshua, my faithful leaders of my people. You, too, are my leaders for you have the truth that will bring my people through. They must hear the message of the cleansing and blotting out of sin that I am presently doing in my closing work in the Sanctuary. Those who go through with me to the end will be among the 144,000. Some will of necessity be laid away to preserve them for me. But others of all ages will go through with me and be alive when I come. Be of good courage, my friends, for the time of deliverance is near, and you will soon be at home with me! In the meantime, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh! [Lu. 21:28.] Lovingly, Jesus.