—Illustrations by Zeb and Jacques Elan

Maria #266 DFO 2985 1/95

(From Mama: )

1. Dear Precious Family (And I'm talking to each one of you personally!), I love you very specially and I have been deeply saddened upon hearing that you have sometimes felt that the Lord is distant from you—that He is just a big God way up there somewhere who once upon a time expressed His love through a great sacrifice of His Son for you‚ but doesn't really care too much about you personally in all the things that bother you and that make you sad and that concern you.

2. You feel that He loves you in a general way and He supplies your needs‚ and He protects you and He loves you because you are doing His will and you are a member of His Family. However, some of you just don't see how Jesus can really love you in a very warm, intimate, personal way like a very best friend, or even better, a wonderful lover who is in love with you and who wants to be personally involved with every detail of your life—knowing all your thoughts and your deepest desires, wanting to be with you every moment, wanting to do all the things that make you happy, always thinking about you and what He can do to make things easier for you‚ looking on you as the most wonderful thing He has ever seen, not letting any of your faults bother Him, but instead overlooking them.

3. You don't see how Jesus could really want to tune in to every single aspect of your life‚ all the details that are particular to only you, wanting to make sure every little need of your heart is fulfilled, always being right there every moment to take you in His arms and comfort you when you're sad, share your joy when you're happy, calm your fears when you're frightened, and explain things that confuse you.

4. Some of you have said, "I don't see how Jesus could really love me that much or be happy with me because I'm too bad. I've made so many mistakes. I can't get victories over my NWOs. I don't have any talents. I'm not able to do much for the Lord. I just feel like a nothing. I'm doing more damage to God's work than I am helping it. I'm just taking up people's time with my problems. I might as well leave the Family and then I won't be in the way. It won't matter to the Lord because there are so many other better people than me to do His work and whom He loves a lot more."

5. It's broken my heart to hear you say these things or even to know that you were thinking them, because I know how very much Jesus loves you personally in a very special, deep way. That you don't understand this and that you don't know how much He loves you is one of the saddest things I can think of. When I know what a special love He has for you but you are unable to see it, it really makes me cry.

6. I wanted so badly to show you how Jesus loves you, and I couldn't think of any better way than to ask Him to speak to you in His own words directly to your heart; I knew He would if we'd ask Him. So I asked some of our very dear WS family who also love you greatly if they would pray and ask Jesus to speak to you and tell you Himself how much He loves you.

7. There are many manifestations of the Lord's great love for each of us personally. First of all, He died for us. Second, Dad lived his life loving us, and then went home to Heaven that he might help us and love us in an even greater way. The Lord also gave each of us a place in the Family, when He had five billion others to choose from. The wonderful Word that the Lord has given us so abundantly is another very great manifestation of His daily love for us. Furthermore‚ every day we see the Lord's loving hand in our lives in all the personal details that concern us individually.

8. However‚ perhaps the way we can best understand God's love is when it is expressed in human form; that is the way we can most clearly understand and feel it most intensely. In this way, we realize that He doesn't just love us "collectively," but individually. When He gives us someone who can tune into our problems and needs and questions—giving us care and love—we know that we are very special to Jesus and that He loves us in a special way that He loves no one else in the whole world.

9. Like that saying goes, "God loves all of us as though there were only one of us." It is a time-consuming process to love people in that way—individually—but that is the way God does it!—And that's the most effective way that we can do it, and that people can see God's love reflected in us.

10. He knows how important special individual attention is to us, and this is what He wants to give us, but He has to have some person or persons to work through.

11. You may have been in Homes where there was someone who was a reflection of God's love for you in a very individual way. When you are a recipient of someone's time and care and attention in the form of their personal prayers for you, their walkie-talkies‚ their very personal loving notes on your OHRs, their friendly encounters with you during the day, their happiness at your joys and their tears at your disappointments—when you receive things like this from them, you know it is the Lord's love just for you—not for anyone else. It's tailored to meet your needs, and not somebody else's. It makes you know that you are unique and special to the Lord‚ and He cares in a very intimate way for all the little details of your life, which are different from those of anyone else.

12. My prayer is that we could have the Lord show His wonderful, special love to each of you through a loving adult who would take you under his or her wing and care for you as Jesus wants you to be cared for‚ and love you as Jesus loves you.—Or through someone special that He gives you that you can share with in a loving, intimate way as a precious friend, or lover, as the case may be.

13. I wish we could ask the Lord to speak very personal words of comfort and encouragement to each one of you that would show you how much He cares for you individually. But since we couldn't do that, I asked the Lord to speak to each one of you all at once. I knew that at least He could let you know that this is the way He loves you—each one of you. Even if we can't name each one of you and get something especially tailored to your particular needs, I knew that He could speak to all of you directly and tell you that this is how He looks at you—as unique and special—and that each one of you is very‚ very precious in His sight.

14. I knew that the Lord would know how to say it so that it could be a great comfort and encouragement to each one of you, even though given for all of you at the same time. Even though I knew that it couldn't be quite as specific, the Lord has a way of saying things that makes it hit home very personally, just like He does in His Word. His Word is for all of us, but He gave it in such a way that it speaks to each of us in a personal way, right to each individual heart.

15. So, Lord, even though many have not been able to experience this love through another Family member as much as we might have wished them to, that doesn't change the fact that You love them in a wonderfully special way, and that what You have spoken has been directly to their heart, letting them know how loved each one of them is in Your sight. You really knew how to say it so that it will change their lives—if they'll receive it and believe it. We want so very much for them to know how much You love them.

16. Thank You, Lord, for Your great love that we have experienced through Dad, and through those around us. Help each of our precious Family to experience this same kind of love and to be assured beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are greatly loved in a very special, wonderful way.

17. And as you can see in the beautiful and bountiful things the Lord said below, He more than fulfilled our prayer and desires and gave us more than we could even ask or hope for in expressing how much He loves you in a very intimate, personal love relationship. After you have received and absorbed the things the Lord is saying to you in the words below, you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt just how much Jesus loves you!—Just you! And when you believe and receive His precious Words, you will experience Jesus' precious love and will never have to doubt or wonder again what you mean to Him.

Prophecies

18. Hereby perceive we the love of God‚ because He laid down His life for us. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Though only a few touched My Son in His life, millions of My children throughout the ages have been touched by this expression of My love, in that I gave My Son for each one.

19. So have I given My Son for each of you as the ultimate proof of My love for you. The Evil One would seek to belittle this love and cause thee not to receive it in faith, thinking that thy sins have separated thee from Me, but this is a lie! Greater love hath no man than this‚ that a man lay down his life for his friends. So hath thy father David laid down his life for thee and given thee a goodly inheritance. As the father who wills his estate to his children in unselfishness and love, so hath he willed to thee his Family of Love, and the freedoms and the joys that none other can possess except for thee.

20. The Wicked One doth seek to belittle this, to deny thee an understanding of this inheritance which hath been given thee. For all the holy men of all ages would seek to be in this day which thou art in, this time when I am bestowing My love in greater measure and in more tangible ways than ever before.

21. Lying vanities, lying vanities, lying vanities! For both the young and the old say, "I have sinned and come short of the mark and am not worthy of the Lord's love." The old one says, "I have nothing to give, and I am undesirable to the young and have no way to give encouragement, for I am spent." And the young likewise is caught in a snare of lies, feeling that none can understand him, knowing not that those that have gone before him experienced the same.

22. I have given you wherewith ye shall comfort one another if ye will forsake these lying vanities! For this is indeed an age of cynicism and hate, and the love of many waxes cold, as I foretold ages ago by the prophets. This is an age of cynicism, an age of fear, but greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. I have given you great love to overcome this spirit that would now envelop the world in coldness and darkness.

23. But as iron sharpeneth iron, and as stick rubbed against stick will cause a spark, so if thou dost rub against another in thy communion, and in thy tears and in thy sweet breakings and humbling of thyself, and in thy innermost fears, and bare thy soul to another, so will I cause that love to spark as never before.

24. It is there! It is an explosion that is waiting to happen! The elements, the chemicals‚ the molecules are in place. All that is needed is for the hand of faith to reach forth and touch them‚ and I will cause this fire to burn within your hearts greater than any nuclear fire.

25. Reach out by faith, and heed not the Wicked One who would say unto thee, "There is no love for thee, for thou art unlovely, for thou canst not love."—Believe it not, but reach forth in faith!

26. For how I would bestow My love upon you through one another! How it doth break My heart to see you as beggars, when ye could be rich, enjoying the inheritance of the riches that I have set before you. Therefore doubt not, but believe it, and reach forth in faith receiving.

27. Doth not one sparrow fall to the ground and your heavenly Father knoweth that it hath fallen? And are ye not worth much more than they? My dearly beloved, ask, that ye may receive, that your joy may be full. For I long to fill your heart with My love, with joys unspeakable. I have loved you with an everlasting love‚ and each of you is special unto Me. And as you lift Me up and shine upon one another‚ so shall that love be manifest within your hearts. For Mine ear is not dull of hearing‚ nor Mine arm shortened that I cannot hear nor save. Each one of you is dear unto Me, for ye are my little ones, My precious ones.

28. Listen not unto the Wicked One who would draw you away from Me, for I do love you. Come, abide with Me in My Word and I shall manifest My love toward you. If ye abide in Me and I abide in you, then shall My love be manifested, and as ye give out, then shall ye also receive. For if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me. Fill your heart with My love through My Word, and see the miracles that I will do for you and the joys that I have for you, the joys that I would give unto you, the love unsearchable that I love you with.

29. Behold, I stand at the door of your heart, and I long to come in and love you, even as a lover standeth before the door of her groom and longeth for him to open it. It is the hand of faith—your faith in My love—that must open that door, for because of your unbelief the door openeth not. Therefore be not faithless‚ but believe, so that I may enter, so that I may fill you with My love.

30. For I would that ye partake of My love in greater measure. My love is like a river that floweth abundantly: It never runs dry, and each of you may receive to your capacity. Each one may receive individually, according to your need.

31. Fear not that it will be used up, for My love is never used up. Fear not that you will lose it, for My love is never lost. Fear not that you will be unworthy, for My love is not earned, it is received. Behold, how I love you!—You—just you, just the way you are. Yes, I know your faults. Yes, I know your weaknesses. I see when you stumble and fall, but that does not alter My love for you.

32. Does the love of the parent for his child lessen when the child doth fall? It is but increased, for he doth take that child into his arms and love it more than ever, and care for it more tenderly. Even so is My love for you, for you are the apple of Mine eye. I have many eyes, and each of you is the apple of one of Mine eyes. Therefore believe in My love! Believe and receive! Stretch out the hand of faith! Refuse Me not!

33. Be ye channels of My love, one unto another. For I long to manifest Myself through you, one to another. Be empty vessels that I may fill, that may overflow upon each other, that you may feel My love shining through, one towards another, bountifully. Fear not to give love, for in giving ye shall receive. Fear not the opinions of man, but be ye channels of My love, recipients of My love‚ that the Scripture may be fulfilled that sayeth‚ "Let all your things be done in love"—My love.

34. Then shall ye know how much I love you, and how I have ordained each of your steps, and that every movement that you make is known of Me. Be not faithless, but believing. Be ye samples of My love one to another and ye shall overflow, for My love is without end and is forever.

35. Thou art precious, thou art beautiful, thou art wonderful, each one. I have created each one of you for a special purpose! I speak to thee as an individual‚ I speak to thee as My beloved, that I would draw after Me‚ that I would take into the bed of My love, that I would shower with My love and kisses and embraces, that I would surround with My warmth, that I would clothe with the security and the protection of My love, that I would fill to overflowing. I speak to thee as the special creation that I have made, each with a special individual unique calling and purpose, each one that I have crafted, that I have formed.

36. For Mine eye hath been upon thee since before thou wast formed in the womb. I have been with thee every step of the way. I have watched thee, I have loved thee, I have cared for thee. Thou hast never been out of My sight.

37. And how I long to pour My love upon thee! How I long to draw thee to My bosom! If thou wouldst take this time with Me in prayer, and listen to My voice in thy heart, and through My Word‚ I would show thee of My great, great love for thee.—Love which is greater than the ocean, which stretches further than the horizon, which the whole universe with all its stars and galaxies cannot contain, which reaches out of understanding into infinity and eternity. This love thou wouldst know if thou wouldst draw close to Me.

38. And as thou dost know and experience My love for thee, thou wilt have strength that thou knowest not of. Because nothing, I say unto you, nothing will break the tie of love that I have for thee. Nothing can come between us. Nothing can separate Me from thee‚ for My love is stronger than anything! No floods can quench it‚ no doubts can remove it, no lies can tarnish it, for it stands stronger than any of these.

39. As thou dost seek for and discover My love‚ as thou dost swim in My love and revel in the ecstasy and the joy that I would give thee, thou wouldst understand why the martyrs were even able to die for this love. It was greater to them than any trial or any persecution or any problem. It was so strong that even at the moment when they could not feel it, they knew it. It was stronger than any circumstance, or any trial, for these would pass away, but My love would not pass away.

40. If thou seekest Me with all thy heart, thou wilt find Me‚ for I would be found of thee, and I would draw thee unto Me. And as thou dost seek Me in the Word‚ thou wilt find Me, for I will be found of thee.

41. Behold, I am the good gardener, the faithful gardener, and I have planted a beautiful, wide, glorious garden—one of special flowers. This garden is not as the garden that would be grown by a worldly gardener, in which the gardener plants seeds and up come many flowers of the same color and of the same style. He plants roses and up come many pink roses and many red roses and yellow roses. And he plants seeds of poppies and up come many poppies, all the same, of the same color and the same size and the same style. Likewise it is the same with pansies and with all these many flowers of the worldly garden.

42. But in My garden, each flower is different and unique, beautiful to Mine eyes and special. Each flower is a unique color, and a unique size, and serves its own purpose and has its own place in the garden, and its own place in the heart of the Gardener. And I take each flower in My hand and I look upon it with great love and mercy. I water these flowers with the tears of My sympathy. I shine upon each flower the warmth of My love. I protect each flower with Mine own hands. I look upon it with great tenderness and I know each flower personally.

43. So do I know you—each of you is unique to Me. Each of you is a special flower in Mine eyes. Each has its own place, and its own purpose and calling. And I know all about your gifts, and your talents, and your battles, and your NWOs, and all the things that bother you about yourself. The nagging problems that you can't seem to get a victory over, and your spiritual strengths, and your spiritual weaknesses‚ and your idiosyncrasies, and all the funny things about you that make you an individual—I know these things.

44. I know all about your heart's desires and your secret longings. I know about your desires for adventure and excitement and change. I know about your desire to be close to someone and to be loved. I know about your desire to find a mate, to find that special person that you feel is your other half. I know about your desire to be trained and to find a ministry and to be fulfilled in your service for Me. I know about your desire to have fun and to have time off from your work. I know about your desire to have your talents expanded and to be used in the greatest capacity possible.

45. I know about the times that you compare. I know about the times that you think negatively about yourself and you feel bad and you feel that you are not good enough, when your weaknesses bother you and embarrass you and get you down and discourage you. You feel like there is no hope and like, "What's the use? How can anybody love me, anyway?" I know about all these things and I love you anyway!

46. There is nothing hid from Me; I know every thought and I know every desire, and every secret prayer. Every time you look up to Me and you cry out to Me, I am near, and I hear your prayers and My heart is moved with compassion. I never harden My heart. I never get tired of listening to you. I never turn away. I never sleep. I never have a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. I am never distant. I am never too tired, or too busy for you. I always hear and answer your prayer—sometimes in the way that you would desire and sometimes in ways that you know not, or in ways that you cannot yet see, but I do hear and I do answer.

47. And My love is manifested to you in many different ways. You feel that I do not love you and you can't recognize My love, you cannot find My love. But My love is manifested to you in every joy and pleasure that you feel in life, in every supply of your need—this is My love for you. Every time one of your brothers or sisters or lovers or your mother or father or uncle or aunt takes you in their arms and gives you love and encouragement and affection, this is My love for you.

48. And every time you feel the need and you go to My Word and you find strength and inspiration to go on‚ this is My love for you. And when you lie down at night and you are so tired and weary from your many labors and you find sweet sleep and refreshment to your body and your spirit, this is My love to you. And in your times of relaxation, when you find recreation and enjoyment and laughter, this is My love for you. And the times when you go out witnessing and you pour out your heart to a hungry soul and you are able to give them the answers that they are looking for and lead them to Me, and you experience that thrill of sharing the truth with another human being, another lost person, this is My love for you.

49. In every new thing that you learn, and every new experience that you have‚ in every way that you find satisfaction and joy and challenge and contentment of heart and rest of spirit and comfort to your body—all this is My love to you. Even the littlest things—the fact that you like to swim and I supply the swimming pool for you. Or the fact that you like to take hot showers and I supply the abundant hot water for you. Or the fact that you love the smell of perfume and I have supplied perfume for you. Or the fact that you love to play basketball and I have supplied that for you—all of these tiny things are an example of My personal love for you.

50. I know your every need and your littlest desire, and I will go to any length to supply these needs and desires and manifest Myself to you. And the more that you recognize Me in these everyday affairs of your life, and the more you learn to appreciate these little things that I give you and these little ways that I manifest Myself to you, so shall ye grow to know My love and appreciate My love and feel it.

51. But the greatest way that I can show My love to you is through another person, another human being. For have not I said that I have no heart but your heart, I have no hands but yours‚ no lips but yours, and no feet but yours to manifest My love to another? I want to use your hands to reach out to each other‚ to touch one another and hold one another. I want to use your lips to kiss away the heartaches and the tears of another. I want to use your voice to express words of encouragement and love to lift one another up, and words of forgiveness.

52. I want to use your eyes to look upon one another with comfort and compassion, and to shed tears for one another as you let yourselves be touched and moved by each other's needs. This is the greatest way that I can manifest Myself to you—through another living human being. For have not I said that by this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one for another? Is not this the greatest testimony—your love for one another? So how much more can I show My love to you than through the love that you have one for another? Your young people's love for each other, your young people's love for the children and for the adults, and the adults' love for the young people—this is the easiest way to manifest My love. It is through the love that you show one for another.

53. But I say again‚ and again, and again, that each one is unique and each one is special. I do not look upon you as "the masses," or "the group," or "the young people," or "the teens," or "the YAs," but I look upon you as a special, unique individual, My son or My daughter. And I loved each one of you so much that I gave My Son, Jesus, for you, just you!

54. To paint a picture of this love, imagine that there is a scale before you. It is a balance, and I took My own Son‚ the One who is dearest to Me‚ My one and only Son, and I laid him on one side of the scale. It tipped so far to that side! Then I took you, with all your weaknesses and your shortcomings and your NWOs and your idiosyncrasies, and all the things about yourself that bother you so much and that you think make you of so little value and that make you so hard to love and not worthy of My love. I put you, just you, on the other side of the scale. And the scale was perfectly balanced.

55. I saw that it was a good trade, that I put My Son on one side and I put you, just you, on the other side. I saw that it was worth it to trade the life of My Son for you, that I might have you forever! It was worth it to give My Son just for you! This is how great My love is for you!

56. Ye may not understand the depth of this sacrifice and what it meant for Me to do this, but as ye grow and as ye marry and have your own children, as ye have that first child and ye look upon that child and ye feel the love that overwhelms you for that child of yours‚ ye shall know what it means to give of your one and only child. It shall become more real to you. Ye shall experience the love that ye have for your own child and ye shall realize what it meant that I gave My only Son for you. If it had been only for you‚ I would have given Him, because I know that it is a good trade to give My Son, that I might gain you for eternity.

57. So is My love for you, as an individual, as a person, as this unique flower in My beautiful, glorious garden. And I long to take this flower up into My hands and kiss it and blow upon it and water it with My tears of compassion. I long to hold it close to My heart and warm it and shoo away any predators or evil things that may try to hurt or harm it in any way. This is My desire, this is how I care for My little flowers, and this is how I care for you.

58. Every moment of the day and night I take you in My arms and I shield you with My love and protection. Nothing shall ever separate us, nothing shall ever divide us or cut this love that is between us. Even when you feel it not, it is there. If you will just reach out and look to Me and open your eyes to the many many ways that I show My love to you, it shall become clearer and clearer to you. As you grow in your knowledge of Me and as you grow in your closeness to Me‚ as you get to know Me better, then of course you will feel My love more clearly.

59. Have I not said that the floods of many waters cannot quench the love that I have for thee? For consider in My Words, in My big Book, the things which I have written through My holy prophets and men for thy admonition, for thy learning.

60. Take unto thee the picture of little Samuel‚ growing up before the priest, given by his mother unto Me. Consider such a one who grew to become one of My mouthpieces‚ a man of My love, to bestow love and care and fair judgment upon My people. Consider such a one who grew in difficult circumstances, away from his parents‚ growing side by side with sons of Belial, side by side with difficulty. Yet the love which I bestowed upon this one was forever a precious thing in his sight, and he did esteem it a great thing.

61. Even so would I awaken in thee awareness, which is true birth. Be thou born by the breath of My love. Be thou touched by the tenderness, the infinite understanding which I do give unto thee without measure. And say not unto thyself, "Because of these difficulties I have no love." Say not unto thyself and doubt not in thy heart that I love thee. For when thou comest to Me, thou must believe that I will reward thee as thou dost diligently seek Me. For as Jesus hath said unto thee that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, even so will I lift thy burden and I will make light the weight which doth sit upon thee.

62. Yet thou hast a responsibility in all this—to put forth the effort of a believing will. If thou canst in thy last breath say only this, "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief," I will answer this prayer, and I will fill thee and will nourish thee and I will bring thee up to know a greater love than this.

63. For even Samuel, My beloved little one who grew up to become a prophet and a priest, did he not have a group of prophets, of young men who looked unto him for leadership and for guidance? Did he not try to bestow upon them a godly sample? And though not every sample around him was perfect and good as this little one grew up, I did tenderly gather him unto Myself, every day speaking unto him and giving him that which he needed.

64. Even so I will give thee in thy hour of need that which thy soul desirest. For in the very trying of thy faith thou art learning patience. In the very difficulties in which thou findest thyself, I will be more to thee than a father and a mother. For I am thy Creator‚ thy lover, the author and finisher of thy faith, and I do seek to put joy before thee. As others endured, even as My Son endured, and for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross‚ so do I lay before thee a goodly heritage, that thou mightest endure affliction and trial and tempest.

65. For are these not the Last Days? Have I not spoken through Mine own Son that the love of many will wax cold and that there will be a falling away before the great return of My Beloved One to gather thee unto His bosom? Therefore seek not to be conformed to this world, but be thou transformed by the renewing of thy mind, that thou mayest prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Therefore seek not the pattern and the fashion of this world.

66. Compare not thyself with that which is without, with the world and its ways. Seek not to conform thyself to that which outwardly might appear lovely, but within is full of extortion, excess and wickedness. Be not deceived, for evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, if it were possible, even the very elect. But because of Mine elect, My chosen ones, these days shall be shortened and I will save thee. For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, but the wicked do fall into mischief.

67. Therefore let thine eyes look upon Me, whom to know is life eternal, and consider this: that love is not always easy. For have I not spoken unto thee through My servant Paul that love is longsuffering?—That love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things? And thou must endure unto the end, but daily I will give unto thee great love without measure.

68. I will carry thee in those days when thou feelest no strength to carry on. I will lift thee if thou wilt listen unto Me and suck from My paps and long for Me. For have I not said‚ "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness"? Yea‚ if thou hungerest after My love, I will give thee love without measure. I will answer thy cry, for I know thy desires and it is My pleasure to give thee that which thy heart desirest and longeth for.

69. Is it in the form of a person? I will give it unto thee. Is it in the form of an experience, or a challenge? I will give it unto thee. But thou needest faith to believe. Believe Me, that I will do this when I say unto thee I will carry thee all the days of thy life, if thou wilt depend on Me. I will live My life in thee and make My love manifest in thee. Believest thou Me for this? Believest thou that I can awaken great love in thee and give thee love without measure?

70. Even so, as this Love Charter unfolds before thee, it is a time that My prophetess, thy queen Maria, hath prayed for great love and spirit without measure to be poured out upon this wonderful Family of Love. Even so, I give unto thee love. I breathe upon thee now with the spirit and breath of the love of David. I give unto thee the treasures without measure of the mercies, yea, the sure mercies of David, the gentleness and the tenderness of My dove, of My love for thee.

71. Therefore doubt not in thine heart and be not as that steward which sayeth, "My lord delayeth his coming" and begins to eat and to drink with the drunkards and smite his fellow servants and enter into contentions with another. But believe Me, that I will give thee that which thy heart desirest‚ and I will be with thee unto the end.

72. My love for thee is a personal love, for I love thee as Mine own, as Mine only own. Think not that thou art but one of many, and because there are so many, My love cannot reach to so many and yet even unto thee. Have I not said unto thee how I am not one, but omniscient and omnipresent? I am one to thee and only thee‚ and thou art one to Me. I am thine, all thine, and thou art Mine‚ all Mine.

73. As a father loveth his own son and his own daughter, and knoweth him or her in a very special, individual way‚ so in My omniscience do I know thee very personally. I love thee very individually and specially as Mine own. Therefore fear not.

74. Ponder at night when thou goest to sleep, "What have I done with my life today?" Ponder on the love that I bestowed upon thee. Count thy many blessings and thou wilt see in so many little ways and in so many little things and through so many people I have extended a kiss, a touch, a word, a blessing, a meal, the weather, a house—so many ways that I have loved thee personally.

75. But I ask thee also to ponder how much thou hast given love. What hast thou done to show love unto another that they may also be touched with My love? For have I not said unto you that there is greater joy in giving than in receiving? There is so much more love in giving love than in receiving love.

76. Therefore if thou wouldst want to know that I love thee or how much I love thee—how much dost thou love others? How much dost thou give to those who I also love? For remember that I have no hands but thine, no eyes but thine, no heart to touch others' hearts but thy heart. So in this thou hast been commissioned to also give. For the more that thou lookest to receive love—this is not the way to know that I love thee, except that thou countest thy many blessings.

77. But give and it shall be given unto thee. For have I not said‚ "For inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto Me"? Therefore be touched by My love in touching others with My love, with thy love.

78. I look at thee‚ dear girl, so shy, so simple, so humble, so plain, and thou dost wonder if I love thee. Look at the children that thou dost care for all the day long. Do they not just love thee to bits? Do they not rejoice when thou dost walk into their classroom? Do they not always want to hold thy hand when they walk about with thee? They are My love for thee, and oh, how very much love they have for thee!—So receive My love.

79. And thou, dear mother‚ look at thy children. Do they not love thee? Do they not need thee? Their love is so that they need thee‚ they desire thee always, they do not want you to even leave! That is My love for thee!

80. But thou knowest not always how much I love thee because thou dost go too fast. Thou art in such a hurry; thou dost not stop for love. Have I not said through My Maria that love is the most important thing? There are so many cares and worries encumbering thee. Thou hast put importance on many things—thy accomplishments, thy work, thy aspirations, thy career. But more important than those are the people about thee, those that need thee, those that have a pain.

81. Wilt thou ponder this when thou dost go to bed at night? Wilt thou look around thee to all those that I have put on thy path that day and see what they need? Then maybe thou wilt comfort them‚ and encourage them, and love them, and give to them. Stop‚ and look‚ and listen to the whispers that I will whisper in thine ear to show thee who needs love.

82. But ye do go too fast, all of you—you parents‚ you shepherds, and you and you and you and you also! Ye do not take the time to love. For it takes time to make a baby, to grow a flower, and to love a person in such a way that this person will be not only touched, but changed by love. Therefore take time to love; make time to love. For love is the most important thing.

83. My dearest, My beloved one, My precious one, I hear thy thoughts; I know thy innermost longings and thy innermost fears and insecurities. I hear them all, I know them all. I see thee go about thy life, through thy day, and thou thinkest that I have no love for thee. Thou thinkest that thou must prove thyself. Thou thinkest that because of thy sins I am far away. Thou thinkest that I wish to punish thee, that thou art too bad‚ and that I could not possibly love thee.

84. Thou dost try to do the right thing, thou dost try to be good, thou dost try to show My love to others. And yet thou dost feel that I am so far away that I do not listen to thee, that I do not talk to thee, that I do not really care. For that, My heart grieves for thee. Nothing could be further from what I really feel for thee!

85. For now I say it; I say it to thee‚ I say it to the whole world, I proclaim it—ye are My beloved ones in whom I am well pleased! Ye must forsake these doubts! Ye must cast them out! Ye must forsake these lying vanities, these lies, these doubts that ye believe! Ye must be filled with My Spirit, My Holy Spirit, My Spirit of love, for I can fill you. Ye are very precious unto Me and I love you very much‚ and ye must refuse these lies. Ye must cast them out! Ye must take that step of faith to believe that I do love you. And ye must resist these lying vanities, for in them ye forsake your own mercy!

86. For I love you, though I know your faults. I know your sins, yet I am not far away. I am right there beside you and I care for you. And yet it saddens Me, it grieves Me very much that ye do not believe it, ye do not receive it, ye do not let Me come in. Ye blame it on Me. Ye think that it is My fault, but it is not. I love you!—Ye must believe I am not far away. I do not seek to punish you. Ye do not have to be good enough for Me or try so hard to feel worthy of My love. Ye are unworthy, but that does not matter: I love you anyway.

87. So cease from these works, from these efforts of the flesh to try to be good enough for Me. For you will never be good enough, ye can never do enough, but that is not the point‚ do ye not see? I love you just the way you are. You do not have to worry about it. Just come over here and we will sit together and we will talk together and we will have fellowship together. For I shall be more to thee than a light and better than a known way.

88. My Love Charter that I am sending is My gift of love to make it easy for thee to be good. The doorknob has been high and thou hast struggled to reach it and hast felt discouraged, perhaps because thou hast made it high thyself. Perhaps others have made it higher than thou couldst reach. But never mind, this is part of My plan to bring thee My Love Charter to show My love, to make it easy for all of you to be good.

89. So fear not, and cease from thy struggling and rest in My love. Rest assured that as thou comest to Me, thou wilt find Me and I will be all that thou needest. Fear not, and let not condemnation stop thee, and let not others hinder thee or cause thee to feel badly, to feel that I love thee not. Turn aside from them and just come and look at Me.

90. I know the weaknesses and the frailties of human flesh. Thou hast many, and those who care for thee have many; those who have tried very hard in love to lead thee and challenge thee and help thee to grow, they have many as well. All have failed, but I am making My path as easy and as light for you as I can.

91. Thou hast needed stern taskmasters at times. Thou hast had need of a strong hand and solid form of discipline; this is needful and this is love, and thou hast need of this at times as well. But I know thy frame and I know how much thou canst bear. Like a father pities his child who tries hard to please him, I pity thee as thou dost reach for the doorknob, and I freely open the door of Mine own accord. I give thee free entrance into My Kingdom!

92. Come and enjoy and partake of the fruits of My Kingdom and of My love! Freely partake, for freely I give them, and they are thine to enjoy forever!

Verses and Visions

93. I saw a vision of a girl who was in a corner, crouched down and crying‚ and the Lord was looking down at her. I got that she symbolized all of our OCs and our JETTs and teens and YAs, and also our single mommies and mothers who are doubting the Lord's love. Then in the vision the Lord bent down and picked her up and laid her head on His bosom and reassured her concerning all her questions and her doubts about how He could love her because of this and that.

94. At the very beginning I had a vision of a group of our Family young people standing in a line, like a line of people waiting for a celebrity to come and greet them, and the person coming was Jesus. It seemed the young people were expecting to shake Jesus' hand and greet Him. But Jesus came up to the first person, embraced him‚ and instead of just shaking his hand and then going to the next person‚ He took that one person and led him away to spend the day with Him. And it kept happening to each one of them. Jesus would go up to each one and embrace him or her and take them off alone.

95. He did that with each one, one after another. He came to them and embraced them, and took them by the hand and led them away with Him to spend the whole day with Him in fellowship and love. So each one of them had Jesus to themselves.

96. As time went by, when they were spending the time with Him they began to get brighter and glow with a shining light, so that they were simply shining by the end of the day. I got the sentence, "You shall be as shining lights in the world."

97. Then as Jesus left them, He turned into a Family member, which showed how Jesus uses us to love each other. I got the phrase‚ "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn. 13:34, 15:12). As Jesus has loved us, we should try to love each other with the same love. I also got "The Touch of the Master's Hand," and that the love we feel from the Lord is the touch of the Master's hand.

98. During the vision about waiting in line to get hugged by Jesus, I saw the Lord watching the line. He was looking to see if they were all going to be standing in line like in a cafeteria with the attitude of "what's in it for me?"—waiting to be served, or whether they were going to turn around and start hugging each other. Then I got, "If you give love, you receive love." Rather than just standing there and tapping your foot and waiting for your hug, would you redeem the time and love each other while waiting?

99. For parents, almost the best tool with children is to have individual time with them. The best way to show how much you love a child is to provide time to pour into him or her, to come down to their level, to know them and to communicate with them, and to hold them. We know that the Lord wants just that. The Lord makes Himself available to us; He is always there. It seems like the Lord wants us to take the time to stop for that personal time with Him, and if we had more personal time with Him, we would not doubt that He loves us in a very personal way.

100. I got an application of a verse that says, "Let us therefore labor to enter into that love" (Heb.4:11). Instead of the word "rest" I got "love"—that it takes effort to love.

101. I also got the verse, "Whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely" (Rev.22:17). I got that in respect to love, that was one of the last pleadings of the Lord: "Whosoever will‚ let him come." Again I got that we need to make an effort, to show a believing will.

102. I saw a garden scene with two lovers. In the first scene they were having sweet fellowship, but in the next scene there were opponents in the garden who were trying to keep them apart. Then they met again and there was another hindrance. It seemed there were hindrances every time they were to meet in the garden; it didn't just happen real easily and it seemed to be a fight for their time together. I got the words: "Fight for our love! Be loyal to our love! Believe in our love!—And seize it!"

103. I got these verses from John 15:10–12: "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you."

104. And I also got this verse from John 14:21: "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." I thought this part, "manifest Myself to him," was a promise that we don't just have to know the Lord's love by faith, or just know it because someone has told us about it, but we can experience it. It can be something that happens to us personally.

105. I got the same verses from John 15 and the same verse in John 14, especially the part about the Lord manifesting Himself to us, as the Lord has promised to manifest His love to us.

106. During the prophecy that talked about the garden, I got the following verse‚ Isaiah 27:3: "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it‚ I will keep it night and day."

107. I had the impression that the Lord was a bit disappointed in us for not showing enough love towards one another, because the Lord does want to love us. I saw a picture of the contrast between Hell and Heaven, where the people in Hell are sitting at a big table with long spoons trying to feed themselves, but the handles are too long. But in Heaven the people were feeding each other, and everybody was happy and having a good time. And in the process they are communicating. If we can extend more love to one another, then everybody will have plenty.

108. I got the same verse as someone else: "He that keepeth My commandments, he it is that loveth Me" (Jn.14:21), along with the verse that says: "If a man love Me, he will keep My Words‚ and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him" (Jn.14:23). The Lord will come to each individual.

109. The Lord gave me the verse that says "your sins are separating you from your God" (see Isa.59:2). In other words, a lot of people feel that their sins are icky‚ so they feel separated. But "there is no condemnation to him that is in Jesus" (Rom.8:1), and a paraphrase of Romans 5:8: "In this is the love of God manifested‚ in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

110. I got the verse‚ "hope deferred maketh the heart sick" (pro.13:12). Maybe since a lot of young people do not have as many experiences behind them to give them faith and reassurance, there has been the tendency to quickly feel heartsick when disappointed and even start doubting the lord's love. I thought of my first years in the family and how back then I had a similar feeling. Even after a year or two in the family, I still had not found my place in the family and everything was kind of hazy. Even my relations with other people were not very deep yet, and I remember wondering if the lord loved me.

111. One day I was deep in thought about this. It was my birthday, and I was not close to anyone in particular, and I was feeling kind of lonely. I was really thinking about it and somebody out of the blue came to me and said, "i have a verse for you." This was someone that I was not close to and whom I hardly knew. They shared with me the verse, "prove me now herewith, saith the lord, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out such a blessing that there will not be room enough to contain it" (mal.3:10). That renewed my hope that the lord would have something special for me later in life. It wasn't tangible right on the spot, but that verse renewed hope in me that eventually I'd find my special place in the family. I didn't see it yet, but just having that hope and holding on to that verse kept me going.

112. I thought of the letter "hold on" and that the lord also allows these tests and feelings. But if you just hold on a little longer, things work out. Sometimes it is a test on your part‚ to want to feel the lord's love‚ just to see if you are going to really hang on. Many times things don't get delivered to you on a silver platter, but you have to fight the good fight of faith and hang on. That's how you unlock the treasures of heaven, by claiming the promises and hanging on to them.

113. I was reminded of when dad first started writing letters, and everyone was having trials that they would not hear from dad "personally." One thing he said was, "what do I have to do, jump in the envelope? I am talking to you." It just seems to be a part of human nature that it is hard to take things collectively; you tend to feel that you are not being personally thought of.

114. I saw a dramatic picture before the first prophecy. It was a picture of Jesus on the cross, and one teen boy standing before Him. It was a large picture and I could see the edge of the world all around, and there was no one else in the whole world except Jesus and this boy. It was a picture of the individual personal love that the Lord has for each of us. As the boy looked up to Jesus, He said to him, "You are the reason that I died, and I would have died even if there had only been you‚ just you."

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family