Maria
April 25, 2003
To be read initially by Home teamworkers and later by all voting members
By MariaMaria #446 CM 3200 7/98
Dear Home teamworkers,
1. I love you, and pray that the Lord is blessing you and your Home's efforts as you make preparations for the upcoming special study course on the Law of Love. If you've not already read my explanation concerning the Law of Love series, please read it before reading this notice, so that you'll have a clear picture of what the Lord is asking you to plan and prepare for during the months of September and October. (See "Introducing 'The Law of Love' Study Months," ML #3199.)
2. The Lord made it very clear that He wants all CM Homes to make a united push reading, studying and discussing this life-changing series. However, when praying further about how to present the Law of Love series to the Homes, I was concerned that certain parts might be embarrassing to some of our Family, making it uncomfortable or even difficult for them to read the Lord's counsel unitedly with the rest of their Home.
3. This series of GNs covers a wide range of possible situations that could arise as we begin to live the Law of Love more fully, and some of what is discussed could be embarrassing for different ones, for different reasons. In fact, each member of our Family will probably be affected in one way or another as the Lord talks about such hot topics as jealousy, sacrificial sharing, responsibility for pregnancy, sharing when there is no apparent need, young married couples sharing, intergenerational sharing (within Charter guidelines), etc. I wondered if the Lord really meant for each Home member to literally have to sit down in the same room with the rest of the Home and read the GNs out loud together, or if there was some leeway concerning this.
4. Although the Lord has repeatedly emphasized the importance of studying the Letters together, He has also instructed each Home to pray and seek Him concerning how to go about it. He specifically mentioned the possibility of reading in small groups, or even privately. So I asked the Lord if He had any further instructions concerning this, and in this notice is the wonderful counsel He gave.
5. I'd like to ask you to do me a big favor, though. Because some of your Home members might already be a little nervous or fearful going into the Law of Love study program, to hear me say that there will possibly be some points of embarrassment could cause them to worry even more, or to dread what the Lord wants them to look forward to with faith. For that reason, I'd like to ask you Home teamworkers not to share these points concerning possible embarrassment with the rest of the members of your Home at this time. We want to do all we can to encourage our precious Family with positive, faith-building days of preparation leading up to the study course.
6. So this information is for your consideration only, for the time being, so you can be aware of these points and options while planning for the Law of Love reading. A few days before the study program is to begin, however, please feel free to share the counsel in this notice with the rest of the members of your Home, so that they too will be able to benefit from the Lord's instruction.
7. Once you have shared this counsel below with your Home, you may want to have a brief follow-up meeting with everyone to fine-tune your plans‚ should you find it beneficial to divide your reading groups differently than what you had originally planned. This should not alter your overall plan in scheduling—but more so will involve adjusting, if need be, your actual groups for reading—as to whether you read unitedly, or in smaller groups‚ or privately.
8. First‚ our dear Husband speaks on the advantage of reading the material unitedly:
9. (Jesus speaking:) It is My preference that My dear‚ precious children gather together to hear these words of instruction, these words of life that will set you free. Sitting together to partake of this reading at the same time, in the same place‚ in the same spirit, will help to tear down the walls of pride that have been built up amongst you. For there is power in drawing from My Spirit and My truth together; there is power in partaking of the Word together; there is power in being humbled as the spotlight of truth shines brightly in your lives together.
10. Those who read this series together will have an easier time putting it into effect. There is something powerful, something active, something that brings forth concrete change and unity when you hear the words spoken aloud together‚ and when you're willing to be the voice to read these words together. For then you all hear at the same time, you all feel the move and the conviction of My Spirit at the same time, and you know that each one of you is accountable for that truth. You know where each person stands; you know that you all know the same truth. You are all at the same starting gate; you hear the blast of the gun at the same time and you are encouraged through the united effort, the united yieldedness, to begin to run the race together.
11. But if everyone wanders up to the starting line at a different time and prepares for the race at a different time, and kneels down, waiting for the shot to indicate that the race has begun at a different time, and then steps out by faith to run the race randomly, without a hand-in–hand, arm-in-arm, heart–to-heart effort, then it's more difficult to follow through on the instruction and to put it into practice.
12. Granted, when people read privately they are often able to understand and to grasp the material more clearly and to be more aware of the finer details and nuances of the message. This is an advantage to silent, private reading; but the unity that is born through reading together is a greater advantage. Even after the initial united reading, My children can always take their personal copy and read it again, in order to catch the details of the message, to study and underline and contemplate and meditate further, to see how the message more directly and specifically applies to their lives. But when you're talking about making a change in spirit and in action in a Home, there is nothing more powerful than united reading.
13. (Mama:) There are some very big advantages to united reading, the main one being that it helps your Home to make spiritual progress in the area being addressed more quickly. As the Lord explained, united reading tears down the walls of pride. When you read unitedly, you know you're all accountable for that truth. You're fighting together, pulling in the spirit together. You're on the same wavelength; you make commitments together. What happens when you read unitedly is not necessarily something you can see; it happens in the spirit.
14. The Lord made it clear that united reading is preferred, but now He gives some options that will make it easier.
15. (Jesus speaking:) I put forth flexibility for the Homes. It is not necessary that the older generation and the younger generation read the material together. There are some cases where it would be more easily received and more effective if, for example, the married couples read the material together and the singles read the material together, or the FGAs read the material together‚ while the SGAs, YAs and senior teens read it separately, if there would be too great a stumbling block of pride or embarrassment for all to read together.
16. Also, it is not necessary that the first reading of the material be the united reading. It is recommended that the GNs be passed out in advance so that people have the chance to read them privately‚ to get used to the message before they are sitting together with their brethren in the same room, listening to the message being read aloud, or even having to read the message aloud themselves. So the GNs can be made available to people, and they can be given the option, the choice—if they feel the need and have the time—to read the material in advance of the united reading. That would help greatly to minimize the embarrassment.
17. (Mama: ) The Lord explains that you can read in teams‚ if you prefer not to all be together. You can also read the GNs privately before they're read unitedly‚ which will give you a chance to familiarize yourselves with the message and have some personal prayer time before reading them with the Home.
18. If some of your Home members would like to receive the GNs in advance for private reading, which the Lord indicated would be good and helpful in some cases‚ I suggest you only give out one GN at a time. You could give people another GN as they finish the one they have. This will help them not to quickly skim through the subtitles or read the series out of order, which could cause wrong first impressions and unnecessary battles or questions. Please caution whoever reads the GNs in advance to please not discuss them with other Home members who have not read them.
19. If the majority of your Home feels it would be too difficult for them to read the GNs together‚ even after having read them privately first, then the Lord will not require it. But He also explains in this next excerpt of His message that you will lose some of the blessings that way.
20. (Jesus continues:) If people feel that it's just too much for them, that reading these GNs together is more than they can bear, then I do not require it. But I also say, let it be known that their progress in putting the instruction into practice will go more slowly. This is similar to the situation with the Loving Jesus revelation, in that people needed to talk about it, share testimonies and prayer requests, say the mild love words out loud to get to the point where they felt more comfortable with practicing it, where it became more natural, more a part of their first reaction and their normal vocabulary.
21. When everything was very private and very much behind closed doors and people were not talking about the Loving Jesus revelation‚ not saying mild love words to Me in public, but keeping it all very hush-hush, then it was difficult to grow together. Some people even interpreted the silence on the subject negatively. Whereas those who talked positively about loving Me intimately, those who shared their experiences and testified of the blessings, the benefits, and the fulfilled promises, those who used the love words that could be said together in public, grew more quickly and were able to enjoy the benefits of the Loving Jesus revelation more fully.
22. So it is with this message on living the Law of Love more fully. Those who are free and humble enough in spirit to talk about it, to read it together, to ask for prayer, to share their battles with one another so that they might bear one another's burdens, will progress more quickly. In the beginning, to "progress more quickly" may not look like such a great reward or something so desirable; but after you get over the initial embarrassment and after you begin to take those first steps, even baby steps together, then you will find My Spirit of love reborn in your hearts and minds and Homes. You will see that it is worth the effort, the humbling, and the working together to break down the walls, so that My Spirit can flow fully and freely.
23. I mentioned repeatedly about this being a united push, something that the Homes should do together unitedly, that they read unitedly, because I want to emphasize that this is important, that My children can't go on business as usual. I don't want these GNs to just be read and then laid aside and forgotten. This is a united push because I want it to be a united effort to change and progress, to let go of the past and to take hold of the new. Living the Law of Love fully is something that affects not just one or two individuals in a Home, but everyone, so it must be a united effort.
24. But I do not put the standard too high, and I give My children flexibility that they might operate according to their own faith. I do not demand united reading. I prefer it, but I leave the door open for other choices according to people's faith.
25. Those who do the humble thing and allow themselves to be stripped naked before Me and each other by the truth of My Word will be most greatly rewarded and will progress more quickly. But I will still work in the hearts of those who feel that this united reading is too much. I will bring progress and unity, according to their yieldedness and the desires of their hearts. (End of message from Jesus.)
26. (Mama:) The Lord is making it clear that the progress we make is up to each of us. He really wants us to be fighting together so that each one can get His full counsel‚ and not open the door to any misunderstandings, negative reactions or other traps planted by the Enemy. He prefers united reading‚ but He isn't requiring it. You'll have to make that decision according to your own faith. So please spend time hearing from the Lord and discussing these different study plan options together with the members of your Home‚ so that each one can begin preparing to receive the Lord's wonderful seeds of love and truth with open and yielded hearts.
27. It's possible that your Home will vote to read the GNs together, but there may still be someone who feels they just can't do that. They may feel too embarrassed or put on the spot, even after reading the GNs privately first. In that case, that person can be excused from the united readings. But the Lord gave some qualifications and instructions for such situations, as follows:
28. (Jesus speaking: ) If a Home decides to read the GNs unitedly, they will receive the greater blessing in spirit. The changes will come more easily for them. But I realize that the united reading might still be too much for some. It might be too humbling‚ too much of a personal battle, even if a person has had a chance to read the material privately in advance; so I release them from that weight. I don't want this study time to be discouraging or tense. I don't want people to feel pressured or on the spot. I want it to be feeding and inspiring. So if someone doesn't feel they can face their Home members during a united reading because of their personal battles or lack of faith, they are not required to attend. However, they are required to spend that time in study of the Law of Love GNs and prayer, unless they are performing some other necessary task, like caring for the children.
29. The Home will need to go with the majority vote on whether to have united reading. Then there is room for exceptions. But the exceptions should desperately pray about it and get a word of confirmation from Me. I will have mercy on those who are struggling to such a degree that they would be distracted and even distract others during the united reading. This is a personal decision. (End of message from Jesus.)
30. (Mama: ) I pray the Lord leads each of you. And if you feel that you can't participate in the united readings‚ please don't feel bad or worry about it. Just enjoy the times you have privately with the Lord and His Word and get the most you possibly can from your personal reading of this important, life-changing series! At the same time, it doesn't necessarily have to be an all-or–nothing situation. In other words, even if there are some GNs of the series that you don't have the faith to sit through in united readings, and prefer to read and study on your own, you could still join the united readings of the rest of the series, which would be very good! If you choose not to participate in some of the united reading, you might also be able to help with some of the other important Home duties during that time, such as caring for the children, in order to free others who would like to participate; then you could do your private reading at a different time.
31. The Lord's desire is that each one of you will be able to come into His presence and partake of His Words free from any distractions or hindrances. He cares for the needs of each of you, and is concerned about your feelings. He's especially concerned about the needs of our dear young people who will be studying this course. Many of you of the first generation already have a good understanding of the Law of Love, and even if some of what is discussed is new to you, you already have a strong foundation of faith. However, because most of the younger generation doesn't have this understanding or strong foundation of faith, nor have they had as much experience with the Law of Love, they will need extra encouragement and prayer.
32. Please tune in to the young people during this time. One of the most important responsibilities of you parents and shepherds is to be praying and looking to their needs.
33. It is okay for any young people who choose to read the series privately to do so, as explained above, if this would minimize the embarrassment and make it easier for them to receive it. But it would really be good if they'd agree to afterwards read it together with someone, such as a shepherd or parent‚ so as to benefit from the discussion and prayer, etc.
34. If your Home votes to divide the reading into groups, such as the singles together or the married couples together or the young people together‚ when the young people come together to read and study the GNs, you'll want to make sure that someone joins them in their study and discussions who is capable of listening to any questions they may have without overreacting, directing them to the Word‚ and praying and hearing from the Lord together with them. This wouldn't necessarily need to be a parent or an FGA, if one of the teamwork is an SGA who feels comfortable with the subject of the Law of Love and would be able to help guide the reading and discussion.
35. We love you and need you and pray you have a wonderful time, full of united‚ loving, faith-building, and life-changing Word study together.
Much love and prayers,
Mama