~ IT'S A DOG'S WORLD  ~

A Joyous Word About Changing Our Mindsets

10/27/01

Hi Loved Ones,

Last week I had a series of very interesting experiences all in one day. It was one of those road to Emmaus experiences where the Lord is quickening things to you and stirring your heart, but it is only afterwards that you realize He has spoken. I love it when He speaks with quickening then finalizes it with the power punch of revelation and opens our eyes to His Word. (Luke 24:13)

For lunch, my husband and I had gone to what I call the 'peanut place'. While people are waiting for their meal, they can eat from the bucket of peanuts at their table then throw the shells on the floor. The floors are covered with peanut crumbs and shells. While passing the table next to us, I stepped on their pile of shells that had a particularly good "crunch." So I stood and crunched their shells for a moment before moving on. The lady at the table looked quite surprised and then saw the cherub grin on my face, and she couldn't help it, she laughed. I laughed too and throwing my hands into the air, I said, "I'm sorry, but this is so liberating!" It was a sparkling moment between two strangers.

Later I noticed a new arrival was sitting at a table near us. A little baby was leaning way over his highchair looking at all the shells on the floor. He was speaking a lot of very serious gibberish and pointing to the floor. These shells on the floor were obviously very important to him and he really had a lot to say about them. I was close enough to hear. It sounded like a fluent and perfect language of tongues. (I Cor 14:20)

When we were walking to our car after our meal, we saw a very large Irish Red Setter dog sitting in his master's seat. He had the most beautiful and longing eyes peeled on the door of the restaurant. I said out loud, "Well just another day in the parking lot while my master goes to lunch! I just wait and wait and sit and sit, it seems that is all I do is wait. And when he comes out that door, he is going to be smelling like steak! Oh well…" (Matt 25:5 & 13)

We laughed and drove to another parking lot about three minutes away. My husband left for an errand and I waited for him in the car. I habitually reached for our car Bible and opened it at random. At the moment my eyes fell on the following scripture, something caught my attention and I looked up before reading it. I saw a second Irish Red Setter anxiously looking out the window for his master to come back. This was so powerfully quickened to me by the Lord's Presence, I said, "This HAS to be the Word of the Lord!" And at that exact moment, I suddenly remembered that I had seen a vision that night of an Irish Red Setter sitting under a chair and I had heard the Lord say to me, "I am changing the mindsets of My people." (Rom 12:2)

I was marveling at how many angels it took to set up His Word like this - to place two Irish Setters in 2 parking lots less than 3 minutes away, and to put us at both. As I was praying about what the mindsets might be, I glanced back down to the scripture that I hadn't read. Here is where my eyes fell!!! "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even dogs are permitted to eat crumbs that fall beneath their master's table." (Matt 15:27 NLT) And I had just come from a restaurant that was covered in crumbs! "Oh my goodness," I said outloud to all the laughing and joyous angels who took the time to set each morsel into place. I had a sense that I was surrounded with their joy.

Matt 15:21-28 NLT

"A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter has a demon in her, and it is severely tormenting her." But Jesus gave her no reply--not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. "Tell her to leave," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." Then he said to the woman, "I was sent only to help the people of Israel--God's lost sheep--not the Gentiles." But she came and worshipped him and pleaded again, "Lord, help me!" "It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs," he said. "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even dogs are permitted to eat crumbs that fall beneath their master's table." "Woman," Jesus said to her, "your faith is great. Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed.

As I pondered the scripture in context, I could see several mindsets. The disciples are set to reject an outsider, they have been taught that she is unclean. Jesus is sent (and thus set) to minister to the Jewish people not the Gentiles. She is set on nagging because she knows He can help her. (Ex 12:45, Phil 3:2, Mat 10:5,6, Luke 11:10)

The dog mentality or mindset was strong. Jesus says in the same story recorded in Mark: "First I should help my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." Jesus had also said at other times, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (Mark 7:27, Matt 7:6) And the women even acknowledged her own acceptance of the mindset, calling herself a dog: And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." (Mark 7:28 KJV)

This was all stirring within me when I got home. But I knew that the Lord had specifically used an Irish Red Setter in the vision and in the confirmations. There had to be a reason. Knowing next to nothing about dogs, I looked up Irish Setters. Here are some facts that were quickened to me. The descriptive adjectives are direct quotes from various sources and all I did was turn them into examples. I think it is important for you to know that so you can appreciate the quickened Word of the Lord.

* The Irish Setter is an aristocratic and regal hunting dog. He is as bold as he is beautiful. (I Peter 2:9)

* He is friendly, devoted and protective especially among children. (Gal 4:19)

* The Irish setter tends to be slow developing and slow to train because he has a mind of his own and an independent spirit. However, once trained, he is trained for life and rarely needs a refresher course. (Ps 32:8,9 & Jer 4:22)

* This breed does not respond well to shouts or negative reinforcement. Only positive reinforcement training techniques should be used. (Isa 42:2, Isa 30:20-21)

* This dog is highly intelligent and understands what is expected of him. He needs a large amount of exercise. Lack of exercise can make him restless and difficult to train. (Ps 18:33,34)

* The Irish Setter needs a job to do. He is quite capable of working in the field all day, and does not make a very good couch potato. (Isa 52:7)

* The Irish Setter is both a pointer and retriever - particularly good for hunting game birds. The Irish Setter's talents include hunting, tracking, retrieving, pointing, and watchdogging. (Mark 1;17)

* Irish Setters were originally developed in order to help the hunter locate wild birds. The word setter originates from the way the dog was trained to 'set' when he approached birds in the bush. Before the use of guns, hunters used nets. The setter was taught to creep up on the birds, indicating by his movements the location of the birds. Then he pointed with his nose and continued body language to the spot. The hunter then threw the net over both the dog and bird. (John 21:6)

* Irish Setters have an excellent sense of smell. (Song 4:10)

* His gentleness, happy and loving personality make him outstanding as a therapy dog as well as a loyal companion. Visiting people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and rehabilitation centers involves him in both a rewarding and therapeutic process. (Matt 25:34-40)

* An Irish Setter will pay little attention to a person's age, or physical disabilities, but will accept them, without judgment just as they are. The Irish setter is a sensitive dog and does best in families who shower them with love and affection. (Isa 66:13)

WORD TO PONDER - NEW TRAINING FOR GREATER WORKS

Loved one, My people have a mentality and a mindset that I am going to change. Some have great longings in their heart for the God of the Bible to come through that door with the delicious meat of healing, deliverance, signs and wonders. But some in the pain of delay are willing to accept even just one crumb from My table. Worse yet, some have become so hopeless and despairing that they think they might even miss the crumb.

Some have become in-house couch potatoes just waiting for Me to come back. Do you think I am coming to pluck you away from the mess, because the world has gone to the dogs? Yes it has gone to the unholy dogs. But I said that when the enemy comes in like a flood, I will raise up a standard against him.

Some are so lowly they think they are nothing more valuable than a dog. But I say that you have aristocratic royalty in your blood. I have called you to be My kings and priests and reign with Me! My kingdom is coming to earth inside of you, so why would I withhold My good gifts from you? Do you think that I stirred your appetite for the life of My Son Jesus Christ, to let you down? Didn't Jesus promise that you shall do greater works? And where are the greater works?

How can this be? I will show you what is to come. Right now, you think that you are just sent to those inside the holy place, lest your pearls become trampled. But I am going to train you for greater works in the field. Let go of your mindsets of what you can and cannot do, what you have or have not done in the past. Things are changing and I have a job for you, and I am preparing you for that job. I have created you to be perceptive with ample intelligence to understand what I will be saying to you. I will be kind and patient, and give you continued positive feedback so that you will learn how to hunt and catch the wild ones! I promise you, once you get the hang of it, you're going to love it. To hunt and catch. You were spirit born to run with this kind of liberating exhilaration!

Hunt, through prayer and waiting for My perfect timing. Catch, through pointing to My Word. It will be a perfect blend of prophetic evangelism. With Words of knowledge you shall point to their heart, and in the evangelistic moment I will capture them. When the time is ripe, you will have the nose to discern My Word and you shall point it out. My angels will have arrived, setting things in motion to catch the wild one in My net. Together you shall be enfolded into My great harvest for souls. And I will make you their loyal friend and protector.

You shall so love your new job and walk with Me that you shall become holy bold and friendly. Your liberating ways shall be a joy for even strangers and you shall have sparkling moments with kindred hearts as you reach out and touch their lives. You may think that all you have to offer is peanuts. Bits and pieces - mere crumbs that are so small you think none would want them. But let Me tell you, that if that is all you had to offer it would be enough. For many are the children of the harvest. My children will love those pieces and these will be like tiny golden nuggets dropped from heaven especially for them, right at their level of perception and interest. They will be delighted with each and every morsel that you give. Their knowledge of Me shall grow and their language with Me shall become fluent in no time. Your heart will be forever changed as you lovingly watch them grow and blossom with new life.

And what about those unholy dogs who yet rebel? Will I have you hide your pearls behind closed doors? I have chosen you as My regal ambassador to dazzle them with steak and stir their appetite for things they so desperately want and need. In the days to come, they will realize they need Me so badly, that they will be even satisfied with peanuts. And they will even be willing to crawl on the floor to eat crumbs from your table. Does this sound like a role reversal? Most definitely it is.

And so My love, when you think of the floods of the enemy, consider My standard that I AM raising. Slowly and most assuredly I AM raising My standard and I will use you to lift My Son Jesus Christ high without shame. And I will have the joy of watching that "crumb" mentality of yours crumble beneath your feet as you stomp on the discarded shells of old mindsets. I promise, you shall once again laugh as you become holy bold and liberated from the inside out.

Roman 12:2 NKJV

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.