This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis (ts@godspeak.org)

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		Encouragement for Those In Full Time Ministry


Child of Mine, I want to encouarge you.  You have been running the
race for a long time now, and I do not want you to grow weary or
faint.  I have prepared times of rest and times of refreshment for 
you.

Do not think that you always have to be "doing" things for Me.  Yes, 
you are My servant and I have appointed you to ministry. I have put 
the care of many into your hands, I have given you real kingdom 
business to do. And I am pleased with your heart after Me, to serve Me.

But child, you are also My own dear one and there are times that I
want you to pull away just to rest, and to restore your own spirit
in Me.  Have you not read how My disciples became worn out but the
cares and duties of ministry?  I did not tell them to keep on serving
because the need was great, though truely the need was great.  Rather
I told them to pull aside by themselves and rest.  [Mark 6:31]
For I take a care for the needs of My servants.

Child of Mine, do not put your own needs below the needs of everyone
else.  That leads to fatigure, weariness, exhaustion and burn-out. 
That makes for useless and ineffective ministers and servants.  I do 
not use and discard My servants, I have a great care and a great love 
for each one.  I have a great love and a great care for you, child of
Mine, because you have a heart after My heart and you desire to serve 
and obey Me.  

Do not be driven by the needs of the ministry.  For I say to you,
there shall always be many urgent needs.  Be driven, rather, by seeing
what I am doing and doing only that with Me.  You are not obligated
to minister to every need.  You are obligated ONLY to minister to those
needs that I have appointed you to minister to.  And you ask how you
can discern the difference... how you know what to minister to and what
to trust into My hands?  I say to you.. watch Me.  Do only what I am
doing.  Listen to My voice and obey what I speak to you.

Do not allow yourself to be driven by guilt, or to be pressured by the
demands of men. That is a burdon that I have not placed upon you.  For
My yoke is to be easy and light.  And I will build rest into your 
schedule. And I will build seasons of intimacy with Me and seasons of
refreshing into your schedule.  I care greatly for you.  You are not
some object that I use for My purposes.  Rather, you are a dear child
who I care greatly for; and because of that care I allow you the delight
and pleasure of participating with Me in what I am doing.  But child, I
do intend it as a delight and pleasure.  Do not wear yourself out by
being driven by the needs you see around you.  Do not allow others to 
make so many demands on you that you are forced to neglect your family
and your own needs.  Rather, guard and set aside time for your family and
for yourself.  Put a premium  on spending time with Me, on allowing your
spirit to be refreshed by My presence and by My touch.  Take your example
from when I walked on this earth.  Even though I was constantly about
My Father's business and had many urgent kingdom tasks to perform, I 
guarded My time with the Father.  I would pull aside from the demands
of ministry and I would pray and I would spend intimacy time with the
Father.  Follow My example. Child of Mine, do not be driven by ministry
but be lead by My Spirit.  Guard your time with Me, that I might refresh
your spirit and restore your vision and lift you to greater heights in
knowing Me.  

Be encouraged, you are precious in My sight.  You are of great value to 
Me -- not because of what you do to serve Me, but because of your 
relationship with Me and intimacy with Me.  And I will not push you beyond 
endurance.  I will give you rest and refreshment, and I will manifest My 
presence to you.  Do not be driven by the task and by the need.  Rest in 
Me. Spend time before Me and allow Me to breathe My fresh life in you.  
Receive My refreshing.  I love you dearly and I desire to build you up 
in Me, to encourage you, to give you strength and to draw you closer to 
Me than you have ever been before.