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

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                     I Am Calling You Higher

Child of Mine, I am calling you higher in your walk with Me.  I am calling
you into a new depth of relationship.  This relationship requires that you
honor Me and put Me first in every area of your life and walk.  I will not
settle to be only  second or third or fourth priority in your life.  I must 
be your first and highest priority.  You must love Me above all else.  I 
require you to choose to put Me first in your life and to make a serious 
commitment to My Lordship.

I am calling you to put Me first so that you can enter into new depths of 
relationship with Me.  I am looking for you to demonstrate your love to Me. 
"How?" you ask.  I have already told you how to demonstrate your love to Me 
in My Word.  You demonstrate this by committing to obey Me and to walk in 
My ways and keep My statutes.  You demonstrate your love to Me by honoring 
and worshipping Me and by giving Me a priority in your time and in your 
thinking.  You must put Me first.  You must check in with Me to determine 
My will, and then you must do what I show you to do.  If you love Me, obey 
Me.  It really is that simple.

There are some things that I have asked you to do that many of My children
ignore or treat as "of little importance."  Yet these things strongly
effect your ability to enter into deep intimacy with Me.  If you do not 
obey Me in these areas, you will not be able to come to the level of
relationship with Me that I am calling you to.

One is to let go of the past and press forward to the things I have for
you.  So many of My children hang on to the failures or disappointments
of the past.  So many of My children fix their glaze on the things of the
past to the point where they cannot look at what I am doing in their 
hearts and in their lives today.  You must release the past into My hands.
You must let go of the things in past things that hold you back or make
you feel disqualified.  You must press on to the destiny and promises
that I have for you today.  I am the God of today and it is in the "now"
that I desire to Meet you.  It is true that I will bring healing to the
hurts of the past, but I do not wish you to live in the past.  The name
that I have given you to know Me by is "I AM", not "I WAS" or "I WILL BE".
I AM the God of the present and it is NOW that I desire to Meet you and
interact with you.  So let go of the past and press forward into your
relationship with Me.

Another thing that I have told you to do is to forgive others from the 
bottom of your heart and to let go of offenses.  I have not just suggested 
this, I have commanded it.  You are to forgive others as freely as I have
forgiven you.  If you will not do so, then I will give you over to the 
tormentors for a season.  If you do not release forgiveness to others,
then the enemy will be allowed to "punish" you for your own offenses and
wrongs.  But if you embrace and extend My forgiveness towards others,
then I will wipe your slate clean and the tormentors will have no access 
to you.  When you allow yourself to be offended with one of My children, 
when you harbor bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart towards them, 
then you offend Me.  And that interferes with our ability to have deep 
intimacy together.  It will hold you back in your walk with Me.  So release 
any bitterness or unforgiveness you hold on to and move forward to 
embrace My love.  Then you will enter into new depths of relationship with 
Me and I will reveal more of Myself to you.

And I have commanded you to love one another and be in good relationship
with one another.  Have I not said in My word that you cannot love 
God and hate your brother?   I have told you to demonstrate to all the
world that you are My disciples through your love for one another.  This
is not just a feeling or emotion that you work at.  It is something that
you manifest and demonstrate through your behavior and actions.  True love 
is to be kind to one another, to meet each other's needs, to take care
of one another.  True love is to make personal sacrifices for the sake of
another.  The world must be able to see and observe your love for each 
another when they look at your behavior and your actions.  If you want to 
draw close to Me, you must learn to live in good relationship with your 
brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you love Me and obey Me in these things, then I will love you and I will
manifest Myself to you.  I will draw you into a closer relationship with Me
than you have ever experienced before.  I will increase the clarity with
which you hear My voice.   I will open your eyes and ears to see and perceive
what I am doing and I will empower you to do it with Me.  I will bring you
to new levels of faith, peace and confidence and your joy will be full.  If 
you put Me above all else I will give you more of Myself and you will enter 
into a deep friendship with Me.

I am calling you to come higher in your relationship with Me.  Will you take 
Me up on My invitation?  I have shown you what to do.  Now the choice is 
yours.