This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis [ts@godspeak.net]

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                             My Terms

Child of Mine, you must come to Me on My terms.  My terms are that you
do not try to conceal or justify your sin, but that you turn from it and
live in a manner that is pleasing to Me.  I am not asking you to be
perfect, I am merely asking you to be truthful about your need for My
help, and then to come to Me to be cleansed of all unrighteousness.

I am not going to push you away because you are too dirty. My intent is
to draw you closer. I am not looking to condemn you for your weaknesses
and indiscretions ; My desire is to strengthen you and empower you to walk
in holiness before Me. I want to transform you from within, so that you
will be more like Me, and so that sin and your carnal nature will have
less of a hold over you.

Do not fear to come to Me on My terms, for they are not harsh or
unreasonable. I am a loving God. I am not going to punish you by taking
away everything you like, nor I am going to choose some sort of horrible
destiny for you to make you miserable.  That is not My way, nor has it
ever been, for I am a God of love.  If you knew what I am really like,
you would know that My arms are open wide to receive you and I desire
that you would run into My embrace.  I do not require you to be perfect
before you come to Me--come to Me as you are and allow Me to perfect you.
I will transform you and I will cause you to walk in joy and victory.

But, dear child, where you run to Me, you have to come on My terms. You
must be willing to turns aside from all sin and unholiness in your life;
you must be willing to live for Me and to walk in My ways. Allow Me to
transform you from within, for I will cause you to grow and mature in
holiness and perfection.

I will remove those things from your life that torment you, and I will
give you peace.  But in order to do that, I will have to remove certain
things from your life--I will have to take away those things that drag
you down, and I must remove the things that are destroying you.  Some of
them may seem like treasures to you at the moment, but in reality they
are not, for they are causing you great harm.

You must give up the "pleasures of the flesh" that are sin to Me, but in
so doing, you will gain much more than you had to give up.  I will open
My treasure house and give you new pleasures that make the joy of the
flesh pale in comparison.  I will bless you both in this life and in the
life to come. My plans for you are good; they are intended to cause you
much joy. But in order for you to enter into that joy, you must yield to
My plans and submit to Me.  I will teach you to walk in holiness before
Me, so that you can abide in My loving embrace.

I want you to come to Me, no matter what you have done or how dirty you
may feel--but you must come on My terms.  You must not try to hide your
imperfections from Me and pretend to be something you are not. Instead
you must confess your need for Me to help you. I am willing to cleanse
you up and I am willing to transform you. Don't be afraid of Me, for My
arms are open wide to receive you and if you come to Me, I will not cast
you aside.