MARCH 2008
INTIMACY WITH GOD JOURNAL
In This Issue:
- Don’t Carry My Sandals!
- Recent Prophetic Words
- Linda’s new book!
- Adore to be Adorned Women’s Conf. – 4/12
Mike and Linda Schreurs
Merry March!
An early Easter is reason enough to be merry! It always signals springtime and we are more than ready! It seems to have been a rather harsh winter in more ways than one. Are you still holding up? Are you just ‘getting by?’ Are your internal, spiritual fires still blazing with passion and fire for God? If not, why not? Could you have allowed someone or something to rob you of experiencing the very attainable joy of the Lord? Happiness is over-rated and temporal. Joy is perpetual.
Do you understand all that is necessary to enter into restful peace, joy and victory in Christ Jesus is to allow your heart to be taken deep inside of His? His heart is all you will ever need in life to take you from glory to glory. (2 Cor. 3:18) 2 Corinthians 4:16 is most comforting when it says that even though the outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day. Take that spiritual renewal vitamin and run with it! It’s yours for the asking every single day of your life. We do not have to live one day without being able to climb higher in the divine purposes and plans God has for our lives. We are the only ones who stop that progress. So, jump into the fray of life confidently through the power of Christ within you. The outer man is in a countdown to his own ‘last days’ and there isn’t a soul anywhere who escapes the gunk and junk of life. It boils down to this: You’re the only one responsible for your level of growth in the Lord and sustained joy therein. “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10b) Shout Amen!
Linda Schreurs
DON’T CARRY MY SANDALS!
I’m sure many of us have knelt before the Lord or even prostrated ourselves before Him either in private, at the church altar, or at a conference. If not, this might be a good time to do so! It’s a defining moment of surrender to our wonderful Savior as we realize our helplessness and how much we truly, desperately need Him. This is the place where we grow the most – at His feet! It’s a holy, lowly position. A surrendered heart ushers in humility. “…Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another; for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:5b-7)
So it was with repentant tears that I was prostrate before the Lord recently confessing to Him, when I said, “Lord, I am not even worthy to carry your sandals! Purge my heart of all it’s ugliness…give me Your Spirit to soften my heart. Flush out the heart constipation brought on by my sins. Flush out all my sins and remove every obstruction. Clear and clean out my heart.”
Friends, we serve a wonderful Lord and Savior. He is faithful to always answer our cries of desperation! He is faithful to give us more as we ask Him. Do not ever allow the enemy to make you think otherwise. We can’t earn more. All we have to do is ask. (Lk. 11:8-13) So as I positioned myself at the Lord’s feet that particular day, He suddenly jolted my heart with these words, “I’m not asking you to carry My sandals. I’m asking you to walk in them!”
Footsteps
Interesting isn’t it, how the Lord brought a totally different perspective to my cries?! First of all, I thought of the old phrase, “Just walk a mile in my shoes!” Certainly we cannot fully know the scope of some people’s suffering because we have not walked in their footsteps. Therefore, we must gracefully and tenderly encourage, strengthen and love our hurting brothers and sisters. So what was the Lord saying?
Secondly, I thought of how little girls will step up on their daddy’s shoes to waltz around a room together. She doesn’t have to do a thing but just hang on to his hands. What effortless dancing!
So again, what was the Lord saying? I felt He wanted to convey two specific things to His Bride, the Church. First, passion for God brings compassion to every man, woman and child no matter how old they are, what side of town they’re from, where they may or may not attend church and especially, no matter what their history is! God loves us. We must do the same, bar none! We must follow in Papa Abba’s footsteps. He’s not asking us to do any more or any less, but just do what HE DOES! It’s so simple, but we make it so hard.
Secondly, He wants us to step up onto His sandals and let Him carry us where we need to go. After all, Father knows best! This assures surrendered control of our lives as we let Him lead. This is better than the TV show, Dancing with the Stars; this is dancing with the bright, Morning STAR! “And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2 Pet. 1:19; See also Rev. 2:28; 22:16)
By the way, you might want to pick up Jill Austin’s latest book: Dancing With Destiny. I’ve read it and it is powerful.
Moses’ sandals
Walking in the Lord’s sandals means there will be suffering, but there will also be joy. You’ve got to know that! “…Know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…” (Philip 3:10) That strategic day while I was prostrate before Him, He spoke to my heart saying, “Because you’ve honored Me in the intimate place (worship)…having taken off all things of the world, I have put My sandals on you. Moses took his sandals off because he was in a moment of intimacy and divine destiny. He stood on holy ground. And just as he had to put his sandals back on to walk down the mountain to minister to the people (even though they were rebellious) so shall you. It takes as much humility to walk down the mountainas it does to climb up the mountain.”
(Ex. 3)
Precious saints, our mighty God is strategically preparing us to walk into the astounding, miraculous, Promised Land of the Last Days! We are being ‘primed’ to walk it out under the canopy of His love and glory. It will outshine anything previously known! Prepare!
(Josh. 1:3,5,8; 5:15; Haggai 2:9)
Dip your foot!
I believe the Lord is saying to us in this fresh springtime season, where new buds burst forth on trees, and flowers begin to emerge, that He has dipped our feet in oil according to Deuteronomy 33:24d. Our oiled and ordained feet are preparing us for something brand new. Therefore, wherever our shoes take us – that’s victory ground! We must stay in worshipful, harmonious, musical step with God. It’s our passageway into holy, victorious paths by virtue of Psalm 119:105, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (See also I Kgs. 8:36) Stay in the Word and you won’t miss the open door into your Promised Land!
RECENT PROPHETIC WORDS
Recently while my husband and I were finishing up a joint 40 day fast, I was able to spend the last 7 days ‘locked up’ unto the Lord. I went away to a favorite place in the northern woods of Minnesota to a little cabin where I waited to see what the Lord might reveal. The following is a portion of what He gave me during those holy days of solitude and silence. I feel in light of the context in which the following words were given, they truly are from His heart and we must embrace them fully. Consider and test the Spirit.
On the third day, He spoke about doing root canals.
Root Canal
"I am doing a Root Canal on My people! Those things hidden below the surface… things hidden from public view, things that have rotted within. Deception. Arrogance. Pride. Gossip. Slander. Self-will. Unforgiveness. Self-destructive ways. Secret sins...all of it. I am going to root it out. I am Dr. Jesus." (Like when a dentist does a root canal) "Is anything too hard for me? I am about to do divine surgery and root out disease and torment of soul. I am going to do a holy root canal and pull those things out as you ask Me to come in.
I replace those hidden hindrances, those destructive root canals and replace them with canals of My Living Waters. I shall flush out the old, tired out, deceptive areas of your life and I will go deep, very deep within you and out of your innermost being shall flow My Living Waters. You shall know My deep wells of life, abundant life, full, vibrant, healthy life. The deep geysers of My Spirit in you shall break open and burst forth upon every area of your life.
The root of My Righteous Branch goes very deep. My oceans of love will fill every emptied canal in your heart. Prepare to receive My Root Canal! I am going deeper than you ever imagined. Deep calls to deep and you shall know no limits to My glory! For I can do above and beyond what you can even think or imagine. This is your day to surrender to Dr. Jesus. I sent My Word, I sent My Sword of divine surgery and I shall separate bone and marrow, soul and spirit, even to the deepest thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
I am your Healer, your Restorer, your Deliverer. I came to set you free. Will you allow Me access to your entire being? I am ready to take you into the Promised Land!"
Psalm 42:7 shows us how deep calls to deep at the sound of the Lord’s waterfalls. Let’s jump in! Those Ezekiel 47 waters await us as never before! Isaiah 11 and 35 confirm this word, as well as John 7:38.
Another prophecy that came for the corporate Body of Christ was the following:
A new shaking
"There is a new shaking going on! People will not shake and bake on the outside, but on the inside. Their inward parts, to the core of their existence, will begin to tremble before My majesty, My power and My holiness. Their hearts will begin to be passionately set ablaze with fire from My altar. There's going to be a whole lot more shaking going on! Some will try to hide from Me, but I will find them. No one will escape My eyes. But those who run to Me, will receive the greatest rewards. Sooner is better than later!
I am about to shake everything that can be shaken. All things will be sifted through My Name. If My Name isn't on it, it's not Mine. Watch for My Name to be displayed, magnified and manifest in many unusual places." (Haggai 2:5-9; Lk. 11:2, Acts 4:12; Rev. 3:12; 20:15)
Dear saints, please understand, shaking on the outside is OK, but it’s not always the deepest point of the Sword/Word of the Lord. The heart within is! (Heb. 4:12!!)
Let us keep our eyes open as the Lord purposes to download some of His greatest displays of glory in situations, circumstances and places where we could not have imagined. Stay awake! Do not grow weary. The Lord’s powerful Presence is not confined to church walls, nor is the earth itself able to contain the glory of the Most High God!
Fly!
On the fourth day of my hermitage, I was awakened at 4:04 AM. My heart was pounding with joy:
"We are as little, furry caterpillars crawling on the ground. Then we become larvae, cocoon for awhile (in repentance, silence, solitude, prayer, worship). Then we’re born again, changed...transformed into a beautiful creation, with multi-faceted colors (talents/gifts) and personalities that we may fly like a butterfly! God has created us to fly! We are not to continue groveling on the ground. Allow yourself to be cocooned in God's womb of new birth, so you can soar on angels' wings! This is our destiny!" (John 3:6; Rom. 12:2; Is. 40:31; Duet. 32:11; Ps. 91)
The Body of Christ is being readied for the soon return of her heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus. She must learn to fly! She must learn to ascend on high like an eaglet spreading its wings. She must go higher with all the transformational keys given to her that is found in the Word of God. No more groveling - it’s time to fly! It’s time to ascend the mountain of the Lord that we may fulfill our divine destinies. (Ps. 24)
Many prophets in this hour are wonderfully saying the same thing: Change is coming. Transformation and reformation are on the horizon. Let our hearts be aligned with the Lord of lords and King of kings. It’s an exciting time to be alive!
Tears
Finally, I must share one more corporate revelation the Lord bestowed during this time of fasting and prayer. It’s very exciting!
The Lord says, "I've seen and recorded every tear, every single tear drop you've shed in your life - every last one of them. I know the full number. You yourself do not know the full number of each tear drop, but I know them! I am God. I have taken note of them. None have escaped My remembrance. I have seen every cry, every plea of your heart. Every tear of pain, every tear of joy - it’s all recorded in My bosom.
Every glance, every facial expression, every silent cry of your heart, I've seen it all.
Your hungry heart has captivated Me! And I answer the cries of every thirsty heart.
I shall never leave you, never forsake you, as some have. I am a Faithful God. (Heb. 10:25) My promises never fail. Your tears have parted the Red Sea. Your tears have made a way into your Promised Land!
Now come and dance before Me with all your might, for I have made a way where there seems to be no way. You are My child, I love you! Is anything too difficult for Me? I am your cloud by day and your pillar of fire by night. Together we shall cross the Jordan. I have gone before you, I am also behind you. Did you know I am the wind beneath your wings?!
Now, come and fly with Me! Your wordless realm of tears, thoughts and desires, I am now transforming into a manifestation of My glory!"
Ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t get any better than that! Psalm 126:5 assures us, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.” These are the words of YOUR GOD AND MY GOD! (See also Ps. 56:8; Matt. 17:20-21; Luke 1:37; 18:27)
Our Divine Lover is creating a holy expectation within each one of us. There’s simply got to be more than what we have now. And there is! He is the Lord. He is utterly inexhaustible. There is no end to the Living, I AM, Jehovah God. We might as well pull out all the stops and go for as much as we can. It’s time we become as ‘undignified’ as David and lose our reputation in holy desperation. (2 Sam. 6:14) It’s time to position ourselves at His feet that we may receive His ultimate desires for us.
Are we willing?
MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEWS FLASH!
Linda’s new book, Armageddon Bride, by Creation House Publishers, will be in bookstores by mid summer! This book deals with the fiercest fight known to man at the end of the age where the true Bride of Christ will be tested for her purity. Jesus said He was coming back for His Bride who would be without spot or wrinkle. Red, hot, passionate love and desire for our heavenly Bridegroom will be as an iron that presses out lukewarmness, compromise, contamination, all spots and all wrinkles! What will those days be like? How shall we prepare? This is urgent reading for every member of the Body of Christ.
ADORE TO BE ADORNED WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Sponsored by the Women of Fire branch of Intimacy With God Ministries. Held on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at Crown Point Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston, Iowa (west of Merle Hay Rd.). This is an intimate, cozy meeting place with a fireplace and located next to a small lake. Our lunch will be a fun time of fellowship as each one brings a sack lunch & beverage, enjoying the company of other ladies, along with the beautiful spring weather!
This Conference is something that’s been on my heart for over 12 years! What resides deep within us reflects how we carry ourselves on the outside. Therefore, inner healing will be a main ingredient. As ladies of the Lord, we’re called to carry ourselves with dignity and respect bringing honor to our Beloved Bridegroom. There are criteria for interactions with men, and in the manner in which we dress, conduct ourselves, and how we present ourselves to a lost and dying world. Ps. 45:13 is key: “The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold.” King Jesus wants His lady to be pure, holy and healthy in every area of her life.
As we worship and ADORE the Lord, He ADORNS us with righteousness, purity, holiness and power for a victorious lifestyle. (Is. 61:3) This conference will clothe us with a new mantle of authority! The fashion show will display the beautiful, tangible proper attire for the King’s lady. It will be fun! It will be a delightful marker in your life! Invite your mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, co-workers!
It’s free! But a passionate love offering will be taken as a portion of our worship to the Lord. Linda Schreurs is the main speaker for this event along with Carla Kaiser of Des Moines, who will also dance at one of the sessions! As well as her gift of interpretative dance, Carla is a vibrant, gifted speaker who has worked for a major company in Europe as an image consultant. Stephanie Berger will lead us in worship. She has been an intern at KC IHOP and comes to us from Omaha. She has been greatly gifted by the Lord with a beautiful heart, a voice to match, as well as writing intimate love songs to Jesus.
This is one day you will not want to miss! Mark it down now.
Session I 9 AM Teaching
Session II 11 AM Teaching
Session III 2 PM (Includes Fashion Show)
Snack Break 3:30 PM (Snacks/beverages provided)
Grand Finale! 4 PM (Special surprises)
Wednesday Night Bible Study – Held weekly. For men and women. Wonderfully taught by Mike Schreurs. Begins at 7:15 PM. Call: 515- 270-0231 for more info.
Women’s Hermitage - Oct. 9-12, 2008. Half full now! Call for details: 515-270-0231.