Maria
May 2, 2003
Lessons on what to do when you're under attack!—By Maria
Maria #500 CM/FM 3255 7/99
My dear Family‚
1. I love you! As I'm sure each of you can testify, as we get closer and closer to the End‚ the Enemy is fighting harder and harder. The Lord has prepared us for this, and as the attacks get stronger and stronger, He's given us the weapons to overcome them. He even said that He had held back the more intense battles until He had given us the new weapons and the time needed to prepare for them.
2. He's emphasized repeatedly the importance of becoming skilled and practiced in our use of the new weapons, telling us that as the days get darker, things are not going to get any easier for us, the children of Light! But He also has reminded us that a little candle can be seen so much better in the midst of gross darkness, and that where iniquity abounds, grace also abounds. So in spite of the increased intensity of the battles and attacks of the Enemy, the future is still glowing brilliantly for us through the power of God's promises!
3. There are so few of us in comparison to the vast number of needy people in the world, and yet the Lord uses us to accomplish so much for Him. We're very active, we're on the attack, we reach people that no one else reaches, and we're willing to not only preach the meat of the Word to the world, but to live it as a sample. It's no wonder, then, that the Enemy would love nothing more than to defeat us.
4. He's tried to defeat us as a Family through court cases and persecution, but we've only been strengthened and have come out victorious every time. He also fights us individually through spiritual attacks, which are manifested physically, emotionally, and psychologically. He tries anything and everything to derail us and pull us off the wall of our job for the Lord—whether through discouragement, condemnation‚ doubts, self-righteousness, trying to persuade us that we don't need the new weapons, getting us to operate in our own strength, or whatever the case may be.
5. A great part of the victory in any battle is when you can see the enemy, when you can spot the ways he's trying to defeat you, because then you know which direction to attack. The same is true with our spiritual warfare. We have to expose the Enemy in order to know how to fight him. And thankfully, we have a Commander in Chief, our wonderful Husband Who sees it all, the big picture, and is always more than happy to point out to us where the Enemy is coming from and what tactics he's using.
The Need for the New Weapons!
6. What we've got to realize, dear Family‚ is that the Enemy has upped the ante. Things are not the same as they were before. The Lord has given us the time to prepare with the new weapons‚ and now the Enemy is attacking us even harder—which is also part of our preparation for the days ahead. The Lord said:
7. (Jesus speaking:) One of the greatest dangers at this stage of the war is going along as if you can get by with the weapons of the past or the way you used to fight and win. You must see that the Enemy's attacks have increased; they're more dangerous now, and to recognize them you need My help, My diagnosis. You can no longer rely on your feelings‚ your intuition, or your analysis of the situation. You must realize that the senses which served you so well before are being bombarded with the Enemy's lies and dissatisfaction, pain‚ discouragement, hurt and trial.
8. If you go by your own thoughts and the way you see things, you will be led astray. But I can see it all, My loves. I can see his attacks on you, and I can see the way to victory. I can see where he's coming from and how you can fight your way through. So ask Me. Don't be embarrassed if you feel you've lost your way—that's part of the Enemy's attack. Expose him and receive the guidance and help that you need! (End of message from Jesus)
9. (Mama: ) However, when you're being hit with a spiritual attack, it's not always easy to go to the Lord and ask Him to show you specifically what the problem is through His Words of prophecy. The Enemy fights your going to the Lord to hear His specific Words of instruction, or confessing to others and asking them to pray with you‚ with all his might, because he knows that he's about to be exposed and defeated. Here are some of his common tactics:
10. m Convincing you to resist the need to do so because the answers you may get probably aren't the ones you wanted.
11. m Playing on your pride to keep you from asking. When the Lord speaks about our battles, it's usually hard on our pride, because He points out our weak areas and where we need to do better.
12. m Reminding you of what you might have to give up or do in order to change. It's not easy to realize that we have to make changes in our lives in order to get the victory, and often those changes require some kind of personal sacrifice.
13. m Getting you to blame your circumstances and conditions for the problem you're having. He tries to convince you that it's not really your fault, and certainly it's not an attack—it's simply the circumstances. If things around you were different, you'd feel different.
14. m Procrastination. Trying to convince you that you'll feel better tomorrow, that there's no need to really get down to business with the Lord for the answers, that the negative cloud will pass and there's no need to go on a big attack about these things. But how much better to have it exposed than to pretend it's not happening!
With Great Blessings
Come Great Trials
15. I know the Enemy is fighting each of you very hard‚ dear Family. I know how hard he's fighting you and what a struggle it is, because the folks here in our Home have to fight similar battles. In fact, the Lord often seems to use our Home as sort of a testing ground, letting us experience many of the same things you're going through or are about to go through. That way, we can hear from Him and help chart the path to victory for you. We can overcome and testify to the victory that's possible through Him.
16. (Jesus speaking:) There are many reasons why those in the house of the queen battle with such severe tests and experience such intense battles. They're close to the Source, and thus the Enemy tries to stop them and discourage them, hoping, through them, to do damage to the queen and king, or slow down and hinder the work overall.
17. Because they're given much in the way of My Words and My Spirit and training, much is expected of them, and I allow great tests to keep them humble and desperate with Me, so they'll know that it's nothing of themselves, but My Spirit which works in them.
18. I allow them to experience the things that My children of David on the field experience, except at times I allow those in the house of the queen to feel it in even greater measure—to give them more desperation as they pray for you, dear ones; to give them compassion; to drive them to My Word to find the solutions; to give them understanding and sympathy.
19. I allow it so that My queen will look to Me for the answers‚ and thus be able to share them with all of you. And because each one in the house of the queen plays some part in processing the Words for you, I allow them to be touched with the feeling of your infirmities, so they might be more desperate for My answers, even though their situation is sometimes different from yours, or their circumstances would not normally bring about the same kind of trial.
20. I allow them to be touched so they might better be a sample to you. I allow them to experience the battle and fight through to the victory so that you might be encouraged that it can be done, so that you might be prepared and know what to do when you're also under attack, and so that you might know that your queen‚ your high priestess‚ is touched with the feeling of your infirmities—that she has seen the battles firsthand and is desperately praying for you.
21. That is the main reason, My loves‚ that the dear ones in the house of the queen who lay down their lives for you come under such heavy attack—that I might use it as a lesson for you‚ as an encouragement, that through their sample you might be strengthened and receive guidance along the path to victory.
22. So pray for them. Uphold them in prayer and thank them for their sacrifices. For with the responsibility and blessing of living near the queen and king come great trials‚ great tests‚ great humbling and dying to self, so that you, My soldiers on the front lines, might better see the way.
23. Don't criticize them for the battles they go through, but rather thank them, knowing that I allow it for your sakes. Pray for them and uphold them in your prayers, that they might continue fruitful, faithful, and strong in Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
24. (Mama:) As you can see from the above message‚ the dear ones in our Home and in the other WS Homes do experience intense battles, and the Lord says that the main reason is so that they can be a greater blessing to you, dear Family, through sharing their lessons, through their prayers for you, and through their desperation for the Lord's answers which we can then share with you. So when the Lord tells us that the spiritual attacks are increasing, He doesn't just mean for you on the field—it includes our WS Homes as well.
25. I'm sorry that the spiritual attacks are getting so difficult. You probably feel so tired already with all that you've fought through over the past years, so the thought of increased battles is not welcome at all.
26. But I want to remind you that the Lord has promised us the victory—and all we have to do is determine that we're not going to quit! No matter how hard it gets, determine that you're going to hang on to Jesus and to His Word for dear life, trusting that He's going to pull you through. And He will! He never fails!
Our Battles Have a Purpose,
And Help Us to Help Others!
27. I also want to remind you that we're not the only ones who have to face battles. Folks outside the Family face very difficult battles as well, often without answers and relief, and as time goes on, their battles are only going to increase. Pretty soon all faiths will also face intense persecution. We're preparing for those times now and being strengthened through our battles so we'll be ready when the whole world is going through it, and so few have the answers, and thousands will be coming to us, clamoring for the truth!
28. The Lord expects us to fight and win so that we can help encourage others and lead them to Him in the days to come. Our battles have a purpose—they strengthen and prepare us and keep us close to the Lord—and best of all, we have the promise of victory! The poor people of the world go through very, very difficult things—many of them much worse than we could ever imagine—and yet they don't see any purpose behind them. They struggle without a goal, without a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank God that we have the truth, we're aware of the spiritual warfare and what's happening in the world, and we know that it all has a happy ending, if we'll only hang on! Praise the Lord!
The Enemy's Attacks on
Two Members of Mama's Home
29. I want to share with you the testimony of two of the folks in our Home who recently went through very hot fires of testing. In fact, the Lord said about both of them that it was the most intense attack of the Enemy that they've ever had to face—and they are both seasoned, veteran warriors who've been through a lot and have fought many battles and come through victorious. They both graciously agreed to share with you the personal messages the Lord gave for them, which unlocked the keys to victory.
30. These messages are very strong, powerful messages. They don't beat around the bush—they expose the Enemy! They're not "easy reading"—they're a call to commitment! For both of them‚ reading the message the Lord gave for them was a turning point; it made all the difference in the world. It clarified their vision and showed them where they were wrong and what they needed to do to regain their strength and focus. It also woke them up to the dangers of the road they were walking down.
31. The Lord clearly spelled out the intensity of the spiritual attack they were suffering and what they stood to lose‚ and that probably did more for them than anything else. Plus, it was such a relief for them to know their battles were a result of an attack of the Enemy rather than due to some "circumstances." It's so easy to blame your problems on circumstances‚ to feel justified‚ to accuse others. But the Lord always has a solution for you personally, if you ask Him!
32. Our prayer in sharing these lessons and messages with you is that any of you who are struggling with similar battles can see them for what they are: a spiritual attack of the Enemy who is trying to get you to forsake your crown of service for the Lord. Both of these precious ones‚ dear Gabe (our Home shepherd) and Misty (my executive secretary) are in places of great fruitfulness and responsibility. They are desperately needed for the flow of the Word to continue, and Peter and I depend on them a great deal. But the Enemy had nearly convinced them that they were no longer needed‚ that they could do more somewhere else, that they could no longer be happy and fulfilled doing the work they had been doing for years.
33. Though they have very different ministries and there were different circumstances that were making them each feel dissatisfied, the emotions and feelings they were experiencing were the same. They were both feeling extremely bored and frustrated, like they couldn't take the "behind the scenes" lifestyle anymore, that this was no longer the ministry or place of service for them, that they were locked into the ministries they did, and that they were no longer effective or needed where they were.
34. Both Gabe and Misty are very solid‚ loyal, dependable co-workers for Peter and me, and they both carry a tremendous amount of responsibility. They're exercised in the new weapons and love the Lord and the Word above all. Yet they were experiencing such strong feelings of sadness and frustration that they were nearly tempted to give up their crown and place of service. They were honest about their battles, God bless them‚ and I knew from the very beginning that it was a severe spiritual attack of the Enemy, not something of themselves.
35. I want to make that point very clear, because it goes to show that the Enemy can hit you very strongly and make it seem like it's your problem. But it's not—it's the Enemy making you feel that way! The key is to ask the Lord to expose the Enemy and his lying vanities; otherwise you can wonder if you're losing your mind or have completely lost the victory in some area!
36. Misty was nearly convinced that she didn't have what it took anymore to be my secretary or to help me with my work on the Words, and Gabe felt like his talents could be more used someplace else and that it was probably time for him to move on. They both love us dearly and have been very happy in their ministries behind the scenes; they've been an invaluable help to us for years and have been fulfilled in doing so. The battles were so intense, however, and the feelings so strong that eventually the way they started to see their situations made their conclusions seem very logical; they felt they had reached the end of their usefulness and it was time to move on. They began to feel that it was possibly even the Lord putting all those feelings in their hearts.
37. I want to make it clear that all those in WS are here because they personally feel it's the Lord's will for them to be here. We don't prevent anyone from leaving at any time. If anyone at any time feels that the Lord is calling them to move on, we do our best to help them on their way. We help them find a good situation to move to and accommodate any needs they might have.
38. The point is not that the Lord wants people to stay in WS permanently or that anyone who wants to leave is looked down upon. The point is that for Gabe and Misty, their present situation is the Lord's highest will for them, and as we all know, getting out of the Lord's highest will is not a fun experience! So when you read the Lord's strong admonition to them about His highest will for them being right here where they are, remember that it doesn't matter where you are or what your ministry is—if that's the Lord's highest will for you, you'll never be happier anywhere else, and in fact you'll probably be much more unhappy if you leave His perfect will.
39. I'm so proud of both Gabe and Misty for their reaction to their battles. It was difficult for them at first to come to grips with them, but when they received the Lord's answers, the Enemy was exposed and they were set free. As they followed the steps to victory that the Lord outlined for them, they overcame the Enemy's attack and became happy and fulfilled once again.
40. If you too have been fighting battles, then please pray and ask the Lord to expose the Enemy in your life as you read these messages. The Enemy's attacks on different people center around different things. For Gabe and Misty it involved boredom with their work, the WS lifestyle of being behind the scenes, and feeling unneeded; for you it might be something completely different.
41. For example‚ you might feel that even though you've been fruitful for years in witnessing and follow-up, or provisioning, or teaching children, or shepherding, that something inside you has changed and you no longer have what it takes to keep going in that ministry. Or maybe you've had a fruitful work on a mission field for years, but now you've lost your burden and you think it's time to return to a home field. Some of you might even be toying with the idea of leaving the Family because you feel so dissatisfied!
42. I caution you that before you make any decisions to leave your ministry or your field‚ and certainly before leaving the Family‚ please desperately pray and hear from the Lord to see if those negative feelings, that boredom or frustration or lack of feeling fulfilled are part of the Enemy's attack on you. He might very well be trying to get you to quit‚ to forsake your ministry or even your place in the Family, and you might not recognize that it's the Enemy and his seducing spirits, not your own mind or heart or desires. You might even think it's the Lord speaking to you‚ showing you that a change is needed.
43. An important point to bear in mind when evaluating your spiritual condition and how this GN applies to you is that the attacks you experience might not always seem to be so obviously vicious or intense‚ but they have the same effect—if you don't keep fighting, you will be wounded and weakened, and will eventually lose the battle!
Messages for Gabe
44. These first messages were given for dear Gabe. I love Gabe very dearly. He's grown and matured tremendously over the years, and is not only a faithful shepherd to our Home and a pillar upon which we lean, but he's also a very dear friend who has helped me a lot personally through his faith, sample, and encouragement. I'm so thankful that the Lord gave him this message to expose the Enemy and bring about the victory, because I really don't know what we would do without him! I love you, Gabe!
45. Thank you for letting your lessons be shared with the Family. It shows real maturity and humility and a true shepherd's heart that you're willing to allow others to see your deepest fears and heartaches in order to show others the way. Please bear in mind‚ dear Family, that the specifics in this prophecy might not apply to you, but the basic principles hold true for all of us. And best of all, our wonderful Husband is always ready to give each of us the tailor-made counsel that we need, whenever we ask Him.
46. Before we go on to read the prophecies for Gabe, I want to clarify a very important point. Gabe did not receive these messages himself, and they are quite strong. This is very unusual. In sharing these messages, Peter and I are not setting a new standard of how to use prophecy or what kind of prophecies to use when shepherding others. We do not want to give you the idea that you should be receiving such strong messages for your children or flock.
47. It is very rare that the Lord would speak so strongly to someone, except possibly when speaking to them through their own channel. And if you receive a prophecy for someone else that is worded very strongly, then you must pray desperately and ask the Lord if your own spirit has affected the presentation of the prophecy. A prophecy can have the right message and the content can be accurate, but the presentation or the intensity with which it is given can be too strong, having been colored by the channel. So if you receive a message for someone else that is very strong, please be very prayerful and go back to the Lord‚ asking Him for a confirmation whether that is indeed how He wants to give the message to that person. On this point the Lord said:
48. (Jesus speaking:) I do not want the Family to start using prophecy in a hurtful way in their shepherding of others. Gabe could take these strong messages because he is very secure in My love and the love of his shepherds. I knew he would not doubt or be overcome with discouragement with this message, so I could trust him with this very direct, clear message, something which I knew he needed because of the strong attack of the Enemy on his life.
49. But it would be rare that I would talk to My children through others in this same way. If they don't have the stability of strong shepherding and if they haven't developed a very deep, enduring love relationship with Me, I would not speak to them in this way through others, because I would not want to risk hurting them or causing them to feel distant from Me, or feel that I didn't love them anymore or want to be close to them. I would not want to hurt My brides in this way, so it would be rare that I would give a message that is very strongly worded that would possibly cause them to fear, or to feel condemned or that I don't love them.
50. I would instead present the needed message with a lot of encouragement, love, and hope for the future. I would reassure them that they are loved, that they can change, that there is forgiveness available to all who call out to Me. I never leave My children hopeless or in condemnation. There is no sin too big or serious or awful for Me, and I am faithful to communicate that unconditional love when I must correct and chasten My children. (End of message from Jesus.)
This Is a War!
Don't Desert Your Post!
51. (Jesus speaking:) Gabe, Gabe, Satan has desired to have you. He wants you out! He wants to defeat you! He knows how valuable you are to the king and queen, and how important your strength and testimony are to the young people. He knows the influence you have on every single person in WS. He knows the strength, dedication, and sense of stability that you bring to the Homes. And he hates you!
52. You look at yourself as a weak, insignificant man. You feel you're just a little tiny cog in a well-oiled machine—a machine that would go on just as well without you. You don't see that your labors are that fruitful anymore. You see that there's a well-trained, dedicated army of young people in WS now, real soldiers, real laborers who've made the grade, given their all to living behind the scenes and working on the Word, so you feel you've done what you could, you've done what was needed, and now your labors are quite small in comparison to the great need of the past.
53. You also are so tired—tired of the same problems, the same faces, the same responsibilities. You're tired of living behind the scenes with the restrictions. Oh‚ the depression that comes over you when you look into the future and feel that you'll be doing the same thing with the same people for years to come.
54. You dwell on the fact that this Family is built on witnessing, soul-winning. You recall the fire that burned in your heart when you first joined the Family—the utter dedication, the passion, the driving motivation that compelled you to jump up each morning to memorize‚ review, and prepare to hit the streets! You reminisce about the good ol' days when you had what seemed like endless energy to do My will. You feel you've lost it all—the vision‚ the drive, the feeling of going forward. You're floating aimlessly, just putting in the hours, doing your job, but out of duty rather than inspiration. You feel you're being a hypocrite—all the while encouraging others to stick, when you yourself want to desert your post.
55. Desert your post? Does this sound rather extreme to you? After all, isn't this the day of the Charter, the day of choices, the day when there are lots of people trying new ministries and finding new callings for their lives? You feel you've done your time, you've given it your best shot, and you're actually entertaining the thought that it's possibly My will for you to do something else. You wonder if you've come to the end of this chapter of your life‚ and if it's time to turn the page, to begin again.
56. I don't fault you for wondering about that, for that's a natural conclusion for someone in your weak state. But I am here to tell you plainly, clearly, in no uncertain terms, that you are now in My perfect will. You're exactly where I want you to be. You have not come to the end of the road in WS. I'm not the one who is putting this desire for radical change on your heart. It's not My voice that's telling you that you can't do it anymore‚ that you shouldn't even be expected to do it anymore. I'm not reminding you of all the years you've served Dad and Mama, and now Mama and Peter‚ and making you feel like that's enough, that you've done your reasonable service, all that can be expected. I'm not the one who's tempting you to leave your plow in search of something else. I'm not the one who's enticing you to desert your post.
57. This is a war, and there's no discharge in this army. You're under attack! You've been on the front lines‚ advancing, leading the troops, gaining victories for years. You've been a tried-and-proven, trusted officer. But now you've put down your weapon, turned off your radio, and you're wondering why you're injured, why you're being overrun by the Enemy, why you've been taken captive.
58. Right now you're a prisoner of war, a P.O.W. The Enemy has taken control of many of your thoughts, and he's torturing you. He's starving you, depriving you of your basic needs, and he's waiting for you to crack, to break‚ and to give up and die. He hates you with a vicious hatred, and he's laughing, overjoyed, gloating in pride that he's finally brought you to your knees.
59. This is no small thing. This is no little feeling of being stressed or pressured and needing a change, an experience that you can approach casually and talk about and toy with. This is not a little attack that will pass eventually, or that you don't need to worry about much even if it doesn't pass. This is a vicious assault on your life! This is the biggest, most aggressive attack the Enemy has ever waged against you personally. This is his all-out, full frontal, no-holds-barred attempt to kill you—not physically, but spiritually. He won't be happy until you're all the way out. He won't give up until you've become a terrible testimony, a reproach to the cause, a deserter, an enemy.
60. You're astounded at these words, even offended. You're saying at this moment, "I'd never do that! Never! I love the Family! I love Mama and Peter! I love the Word! How can You even insinuate such a thing?!" I'll tell you how I can say that—because it's the truth. I have to open your eyes to the spiritual warfare and show you that this isn't a result of your situation. You're not having these feelings because of your legitimate "reasons." You're not justified in your backsliding thoughts because of your valid circumstances.
61. I sympathize with you; things have been rough. You've passed through a dry spell. You've been under pressure, and the battles you've faced have been relentless. All that is true. But what is not true, legitimate and right are the conclusions you've drawn.
62. You've allowed the Enemy to come in through your thoughts—first in small ways, but then you've opened a bigger and bigger channel to his broadcast. Until now you've become dulled to where you can no longer recognize when it's his lies and when it's a legitimate point, something that should be entertained and voiced. The longer you've gone on in this state, the more dull and insensitive you've become to his attacks. That's why I have to clarify things for you in terms that are shocking.
63. You need the shock treatment! You need to see that you're in danger! You need to wake up! You need to seek Me in fear and trembling, seeing the seriousness of the situation.
Rebuttals to the Devil's Lies!
64. Here are the rebuttals to the Devil's lies. This is reality. This is what's happening in the spirit world, and this is the truth:
Your Need for the Word
And How to Get It!
65. You feel powerless to pull yourself out of this restless, nervous habit of not getting fed from the Word. You feel this is your personality, your nature‚ that's just the way you are. Plus, there's so much to do, so many emergencies, so you feel you can't really be expected to have that consistent quiet time. It's just not possible. And besides, you aren't fed by it anyway, so what's the difference? Here is My perspective on your need for the Word and how to get it:
66. I love you, My precious one. I need you desperately—not only personally, because I love and desire you, but I need you for the great work we're accomplishing. I implore you to not come down off the great wall of accomplishments that we are building together. I beg you to hold on, to fight, to forget the past and the future and just grab on to today with everything in your power.
67. Your king and queen are counting on you to make it. They've seen you battle horrendous battles before and pull through even stronger, with a tale to tell to encourage and strengthen others. These battles are more intense. This attack is more vicious. This is an assault on your very life and service for Me and the Family, but you're well-prepared to fight this battle because you have at your disposal the new weapons.
68. I held back the Enemy's attacks before and limited his influence, because My children were not yet ready. But now in these Last Days you have been given new weapons, new power and strength, and the Enemy has been given more leeway, more room to move and fight. His power to attack and hinder has intensified, thus the increased intensity of the battles. But this is all part of the preparation for My soldiers. In this way the Enemy works for you. In his efforts to defeat you, he actually causes you to be strengthened, because you have to fight, you have to use the new weapons, you have to get desperate. Though this is initially a painful and humbling experience, the end result is greater power, greater anointing, and greater happiness.
69. My Spirit is present at this very moment to deliver you from these attacks, My bride. I'm at your beck and call, as is all the power of Heaven. I will restore you to a place of great happiness, contentment and joy. All things are possible to Me. All I ask of you is a desire to fight and a willingness to obey these steps. These are "the Doctor's orders." Begin today and you'll find My miraculous power to deliver and restore and bring back to life. (End of message from Jesus.)
Just Do It!
70. (Dad speaking: ) Son‚ I love you and am praying for you. I'm praying desperately that you'll snap out of it and really fight. You're in a pretty serious state. I know you're unhappy—you're miserable, in fact—but you have to see that those feelings are from the Enemy; they're lying vanities. You don't have to be unhappy or miserable. You don't have to feel bored and at wits' end. Those thoughts are the symptoms of what's going on in your mind—the outward manifestations in the form of feelings and emotions that come about as a result of your listening to the lies of the Enemy.
71. This is the day of choices, that's right, but like I've said many times‚ that doesn't mean we can choose to disobey the Lord. This is the new day, that's right, and in some ways the tunnel of God's will has been made broader, wider. Unfortunately, Son‚ it's not broader for you because of your position in the house of the king and queen.
72. I hate to disappoint you‚ but for you the tunnel of God's will stays pretty narrow, because unto whom much has been given, of the same is much required. You've been given so much in the way of training, deep spiritual feeding, the example you've seen for years and years, that the rules of the game don't allow you to disregard all that or despise it and just throw it away by deciding to go someplace else where you wouldn't make full use of your talents. The Lord will use your talents wherever you are, but why not stick in the particular place He's given you the gifts, talents and calling for, especially since it's not His time for you to move on?
73. What that means, Gabe, is that "others may, you cannot." Other Family members are making decisions left and right to do what they want to do. Some of our folks are making some pretty selfish decisions that aren't based on a firm conviction of the Lord's will. Some aren't putting the Lord absolutely first and following Him closely, but the Lord is merciful because many of them are in a time of learning and training. He allows them to even make decisions that take them out of His perfect will because He knows that they'll learn and grow and come back eventually, and they'll be better, stronger soldiers as a result.
74. But that's not the case with you. You don't need those kinds of experiences to learn those lessons because you're supposed to already know that. You're way ahead of those grades! You passed those long ago‚ so you're much, much more accountable for your decisions. You can't just take yourself out of what you know to be God's highest will for your life and not expect some kind of chastisement, negative repercussion, and a big loss in some way—not only to your own personal happiness‚ but to the work. And that's true not just for you but for others as well.
75. That's why the Lord is socking it to you pretty heavy here. He's not letting you off easy and He's hitting you with some pretty strong truths, some pretty "advanced" spiritual principles that a lot of people in the Family these days have forgotten or thought don't apply anymore under the Charter. But they sure apply for you and the other trained, experienced veterans of battle.
76. You've been trained for years for the job you do. You've been poured into for years by me, Mama and Peter. You've been taken under our wing and groomed especially for the job you have now. I think you've gotten a little lifted up in pride, Gabe, if you think you can just leave it all, or even forsake it in your heart to where you don't give it your best on a day–to-day basis.
77. I think you've lost the vision a little bit and have been taking some of your blessings for granted. We brought you to our own Home and we trusted you with our lives, our children, our security, for years. And now Mama and Peter continue to trust you with the shepherding and training of the young folks on their staff, part of our crop of new young leaders that we need and depend upon. That's no small thing, and just the realization of this vast, monumental, stupendous responsibility should humble you and make you call out to God in utter desperation, being afraid to be out of the spirit or lead anyone astray.
78. Well, thank the Lord, you haven't led anyone astray—not yet. Thank the Lord you've kept your battles pretty much to those who are mature enough and strong enough to handle them. But believe me, if you don't get strengthened spiritually and overcome this assault on your life and service for the Lord, you could lead plenty of people astray!
79. Let this be a warning to you and to everyone: The only thing that guarantees that anyone, even the strongest, will continue on fruitful and close to the source and in the Lord's will is desperation, humility, staying close to the Lord in His Word, and keeping your heart clean through confession and honesty.
80. No one should ever say they'll never go back, they'll never forsake their plow. You can't do anything good without the Lord, but that also means that you can do anything bad without the Lord! This is a war, and the Devil will fight to the death if need be. But I want to see this be a death to his evil ways, his negative thoughts, his outright assault on your service to WS. I don't want this to be a death to your fruitfulness, your following the Lord, and your being in His highest will for your life.
81. Please, Son, wake up! See what's happening and get on the attack! Forsake this foolishness, this murmuring and complaining! Get rid of the Devil's lies! Kick him out! Destroy him! Blast him! The Lord said you're a P.O.W.—a prisoner of war. Well, I'd say it's time to give the Devil a pow! Kick him in the teeth or hit him below the belt, if need be! Turn off the speakers of his evil thoughts that he's blasting in your ears. Refuse to listen to him. Fight! Fight! Fight for as long as it takes to defeat him!
82. We need you, and we're not going to take this attack lying down! You're Mama and Peter's right hand in many ways, and I don't know what they'd do without you. You're more needed now than you've probably ever been—and Amy too. Isn't that just like the Devil to take the truth and completely distort it and twist it all around? He has actually convinced you that you're not needed, that all you have to do is train someone, and then you can be on your merry way to greener pastures. Whereas the truth of the matter is that you're more needed now than ever! And if you were to take off now to parts unknown, they wouldn't be greener pastures at all, but rather a dry, dusty desert.
83. I love you, Son, and I'm sorry to see you battle so. I'm sorry to see you've lost your joy. But it's not too late. The Lord and a host of Heavenly helpers are fighting for you, and I am too. Let us help you by you doing what you can to help yourself.
84. No matter how weak you feel, no matter how unwelcome these words are, no matter how little faith you have that this will work or change anything, even if you feel you can barely raise one little finger to show that you're still alive, you can do it! You've got what it takes! You're a trained, skilled, top-class fighter. You know the new weapons well. You have everything you need to win this battle.
85. In this case, the victory goes not to the strong, not to the powerful, but to the weak—he who is weak in himself, who casts himself fully on the Lord! If you want to see the weakness revolution in living color, this is it! You're it! You're weak, but you're going to cause a revolution when you get back to the Lord and back to your first love—the Word and the will of God for your life!
86. Just do it! How do you like that?—I'm even appealing to your love of sports. Like the Nike slogan, "Just do it!" They've chanced upon a great truth. Just do it! No matter how you feel, just do it! Just obey! Just fight! Just yield! Just do it! That would be a good title for this little talk! Just do it!
87. I love you, Son, and I know you can make it. We're expecting great things of you, great progress. And you have the Lord's promise of a miracle. He promised that you'd regain the joy of your salvation and your ministry, and I believe it! Do you? Fight! Just do it!
Love, Dad (End of message from Dad.)
88. (Mama: ) Praise the Lord! Thank You, Jesus, and thank you, Dad, for those excellent exposés! How's that for a wake-up call? God bless Gabe! Even though it wasn't real easy for him to see right away how the Enemy was attacking him so strongly, he went on the attack with the Word like Dad told him‚ continued to seek the Lord and believe by faith, and the Lord brought about the promised changes in his life, just as He said He would!
89. It's really all by faith! When you've been battered by the Enemy like that, sometimes it's hard to know which way is up—just like when you get rolled by a real big wave when you're swimming in the ocean. You know you need to swim to the surface for air, but knowing which way to swim is often nearly impossible—all you know is that you're being churned and tossed by something that's much bigger and more powerful than you are!
90. That's the way it is sometimes when you're being hit so strongly with a spiritual attack like the one Gabe went through. You feel the effects of it‚ you're miserable and battling terribly‚ but how to get out of it is beyond you. Even when the Lord gives the answers and exposes the Enemy, it takes real faith to believe it and start swimming in the direction He pointed when you don't "feel" that it's the right way to go! That's when you have to remind yourself that our wonderful Husband never fails, that He's given us the gift of hearing from Him so that He can pull us out of situations that we can't get ourselves out of‚ and that He loves us and will never leave us alone. Then start swimming for all you're worth, and soon you'll be on top again, praise the Lord!
Message for Misty
91. This next message was given for dear Misty. God bless her‚ she's such a help to me—I wouldn't get nearly as much done without her and her wonderful help. She's prayerful, thorough, detailed, diligent‚ has an exercised channel, and is always willing and ready to pull down answers from our sexy Husband! She's cheerful and enthusiastic and a joy to work with! I appreciate her help so much—and you can thank her, too, dear Family, for being a yielded, willing vessel, because she helps me to process the Word for you. God bless her!
92. I need Misty very much, but the Enemy was trying to convince her that anyone could do her job, that she wasn't needed or important to us. She was being hit hard with comparing and negativity, looking around at others who she thought were being given more responsibility and more training‚ and feeling that she wasn't as useful or depended on anymore. She felt "out of the loop," bored with her work, and like she just couldn't keep doing the work like she has been, that she'd lost the anointing for it. All these battles were making her very unhappy—miserable, in fact. She's always loved her ministry and done very well at it, so it was obviously an attack of the Enemy.
93. God bless her for going to the Lord about it. She spelled out all her negative feelings in detail in her prayer, outlining exactly how she felt—not only to expose the Enemy, but also so the Lord could specifically answer her. That's a real key for any of you who are battling. Spell the problem out to the Lord, or if someone else is praying for you, be honest with them about what it is that's bothering you or how the Enemy's hitting you. Expose his lies and the way he's making you feel. The Lord honors that and will answer your questions specifically!
94. Of course, to do that is more humbling as you have to admit to things that you know won't sound pretty or good. But if you get desperate and really demand that the Lord give you the answers you need, you won't be disappointed.
95. Misty (and Gabe also) had prayed about these feelings and battles before. She had heard from the Lord many times previously, and she was trying to do what He had told her to do up to that point, which was to feed more deeply from the Word, but the battles continued. They were not present all the time, but would come in waves.
96. Finally, when she was feeling very depressed she asked the Lord for the key; she wanted to know the root of the problem and she wanted to get to the bottom of it! She asked the Lord for whatever counsel He knew was needed to show her the solution and give her a total deliverance from the horrible ongoing battles.
97. Misty received an excellent answer which we're publishing for you in the hope that it will help you, too. Like the message given for Gabe, the Lord gives her specific points on how to overcome. If you're battling, ask the Lord for points that apply to your situation! It's the surest way to victory! Praise the Lord.
A Fight Against Oplexicon!
98. (Jesus speaking:) You're right, My darling, this is an attack of the Enemy on your very soul. You don't realize the extent of this attack, the ferocity of it! You only feel the emotion of it—the depression‚ the sadness‚ the lack of vision and courage, and you know it feels horrible. You want those feelings to stop. But you haven't yet grasped the seriousness of the attack on your mind and spirit. Satan has desired to have you. He's trying to steal away your ministry, your place in the Home of the queen. He's trying to snatch your gifts and calling, your work on the Word.
99. There have been other attacks, other distractions, like your battles with jealousy and your wondering if you had what it took to live the Law of Love. You were tempted to quit from time to time‚ but that attack was minor compared to this one. Because although at that time you felt your marriage was at risk and even your sanity, you still had tremendous resolve to work. Nothing was going to dissuade you from your work and from pulling down My seeds and from doing anything you possibly could to help make Mama's job easier.
100. Satan sees that his attacks through jealousy and your Law of Love battles have failed. You've gained a solid victory in that, and you no longer fear that you can't make it. Although you still have battles from time to time, the war is over. You've won. The victory flag has been delivered into your hands and the Enemy has had to yield to your wishes. You're in control, not him. You are the victor in that war, and he has had to flee.
101. But now he's madder than ever! Seeing that that battle didn't work, he has now upped the ante. He has now pulled out even bigger guns. He's furious that you exposed him‚ defeated him‚ and embarrassed him. He was humiliated before the power of prayer‚ acceptance, and yieldedness. But he knows the battle is not over yet and he's not giving up.
102. Now he strikes you at the very heart of your soul; he's attacking what is dearest to you. He knows that you value even your marriage less than you value your work helping the queen prepare the Word, so he's determined to hit you where it will hurt the most. He wants to defeat you, and that defeat would come in the form of your leaving your post, deserting your plow, quitting.
103. I know you think that could never happen. That thought is so foreign to you that you feel it's completely impossible. You love your work too much. You know in your heart that you've finally found the place of My perfect will for you. You think you would never in a million years let it go. But I must warn you that you can never say never, because the Enemy is on the rampage and he's determined to win. It's his will against yours.
104. He has commissioned his Archdemon Oplexicon to fight you!—Oplexicon, the one who wars against the truth, the one who despises the truth and who loves darkness‚ the one who fought your Father David and others who have given their lives to live deep in the cave.
105. Don't be foolish and underestimate the force of this attack, this battle. Do not belittle the spiritual warfare, for this is a matter of life and death; this is a matter of your future fruitfulness, and whether you finish the race depends on how you react to this attack. Don't feel secure and self-assured‚ saying, "I'd never go back. I'd never quit."
106. The Enemy can't come in to cause you to doubt the new weapons—you're too far along for that. But he can come in with thoughts of boredom, comparing, and feeling unneeded. Those are the weapons he's using against you. You must see those thoughts not as your own, nor as the products of your environment, nor as logical reactions to circumstances, but you must see them as his direct attacks.
107. You knew this was an attack of the Enemy, that's obvious. You know these thoughts are not of Me, because with them come discouragement, hopelessness, and despair. You see the fruits of these thoughts and how they weaken you, and you know they're from the dark kingdom. But I want to open your eyes to the severity of these attacks, so you'll be warned.
What You Can Do:
Ask for Prayer and Fight!
108. This is what you need to do: Ask for prayer and fight! This is pretty simple. It might seem like a very simple solution to what looks like a very complicated battle with complex problems. But really, it's very simple. If you ask for prayer and fight, the Enemy can't win. He is powerless before the prayers of your mates and your fighting spirit.
109. When you ask for prayer, I will release to you mighty spirit helpers, those who are exercised at fighting and defeating your enemy, Oplexicon. He's very strong in battle. He's a giant in the evil kingdom, feared and respected. He has many legions under his command. He is powerful, and his soul is black with fear, murder, suicide‚ war, death, and destruction. But though he reigns in the dark kingdom with such power‚ and though for generations he's fought the truth and caused many defeats and setbacks of the worst kind, he's nothing before My Name, and the name of David and Maria and Peter. Like your father taught you, you have but to utter the Name of Jesus to fell all the demons of Hell, Oplexicon‚ and Satan himself.
110. You have nothing to fear, but you must fight. You must see the battle for what it is‚ and fight. You wonder exactly how you fight. You feel you've been fighting, but still you're going down, down, down. Here is how you fight this mighty warrior of the netherworld:
111. (Mama:) The Lord says that this is the ultimate for Misty, what He prepared her for all her life. But you don't have to be here in our Home or in top leadership to be fulfilling the ultimate for your life! He has a very special purpose for each person—so ask the Lord what He made you for, and then stick to that calling and the crown He's given you!
(Jesus' message to Misty continues:)
6)If you allow the Enemy to rob you of this crown, you'll look back on these days as Days of Heaven; you'll rue the day you despised My gift to you.
7)Speak faith, speak positiveness, speak enthusiasm. As you think in your heart and as you speak from your lips, so are you.
8)Feed deeply from My Word, daily. I've spoken to you before about this need in your life, and you've done well to obey My admonitions‚ but keep it up. Don't let the Enemy convince you after you've run well that you can now stop and rest. The fight for Word time is constant. It's crucial; it's the key!
9)Bring your questions before Me. Give no place to the Devil. The longer you wait to hear from Me in prophecy when you have a battle or problem or question‚ the stronger the negative emotions become, and then the Enemy uses those negative emotions to continue to keep you from coming to Me. Realize that hearing My voice of specific instruction to you personally is the key to overcoming the battle. The sooner you do that‚ the sooner will come the victory, the liberation, the renewed happiness!
10)Don't worry that you'll fail or fall or lose the power you need to fight. Greater am I in you than he that is in the world. You can't fight this one on your own; it's too big for you. But stand back and watch Me fight! You ain't seen nothin' yet!
11)Testify. Share the lessons, the victory, the power. Others battle the same, although not to the same degree—not yet. But the battle is on and the Enemy is out to defeat all the children of David. There is great power and reassurance in knowing that you're not the only one‚ that others have battled and gone on to win. Time is short, so he's pulling out his big guns. The battle intensifies for all.
12)Don't quit. Never, never‚ never quit! Hold on to that crown even if it pierces your hands.
13)Don't be embarrassed about the battles, the thoughts, the false accusations‚ the comparing. Just see them as attacks of the Enemy to be fought against and resisted with all that's in you. Fear of exposure, pride, and the desire to look good cause people to cover up. But when you're honest, you get the help and prayer you need.
14)Plan your work. A reasonable‚ reachable schedule will help give you deadlines, lifelines. When you have a goal, you're reaching forward and fighting. Ask Me about the timetable for your work. This will not only help you realize the shortness of time, but you'll also feel more focused‚ more needed, more desperate.
15)Never let the Enemy cause you to resist, pull back, or not use your channel as much as you should or as much as you have been. Your clear, exercised channel is the key to your fruitfulness and success. You get hit with thoughts that using prophecy causes you to become a robot, a mindless zombie who can't think an independent, intelligent thought. But this is a colossal lie of the Enemy.
This is just a variation of what the Enemy has done through the ages—it's a battle of flesh and spirit. He wants you to depend on the arm of the flesh, your own reasoning, your own thoughts and putting two and two together. But I want you to ask Me. I've said it over and over, and I know you believe Me, that to ask Me is the best, quickest, and surest way to do things. You know this to be true. You've seen it time and time again. But the Enemy would try to get you to resist this truth, this foundation of the new day, by making you feel bored, mindless and robotic.
Rebuke it! Fight it! Don't entertain those thoughts for a moment! That will lead to your downfall! When you refuse to think those thoughts, but seek My voice instead, you'll see that that is the door to a world of fascination, intrigue, adventure, and the greatest truths ever known to man.
16)Realize that not just "anyone" could do your job. You are custom-made by Me to do what you do. I designed you and prepared you all your life for this very work. Others do their jobs, but only you can do yours.
17)To have a clear channel and to use it effectively in your work isn't something that just "happens" without any work or effort on your part. It's not like you just do nothing and all these marvelous answers come pouring out. There's plenty that you get credit for as well—yieldedness, desperation, staying close to Me on a daily basis, being completely open to the truth with no preconceived ideas of your own. Those are the requirements that you must have in your spirit.
But I also use your mind, your ability to analyze the situation as you counsel with the queen and formulate the questions to bring before Me. I use your patience and thoroughness, that you don't quit or lose your desire for more in the middle of a long message, but you suck until the very end and you're willing to come back time and time again with more questions from the queen until the subject is adequately covered. I even use your people-handling skills, because through your knowledge of people and their needs and how to treat them, you sense how to beseech Me for the needs of others.
I have gifted you with great faith. You're a precise tool in My hands, exactly gifted not only in the spirit, but also intellectually‚ and with understanding of people, to do this job. Never despise the gifts and calling I've given you.
18)Never believe the Enemy when he tells you that no one can last in WS for the "long haul." He'll try to tell you that it's a cycle‚ that it's My plan that people come in, get trained, do their term, however short or long, and then go out. He'll try to tell you that no one can last forever, that it's just too much, that it's humanly impossible. That's a lie! I know you're in this for the "long haul" and you're not going anywhere! I do bring in some for training, and there are some people who will not be in WS forever. But that's not because they're not effective because of their being behind the scenes. It's because of the great need for leaders and bellwethers on the field. But those who are called to be "lifers‚" like they say in the military, can make it to the end.
19)Trust Me that I will give you what you need. I know your nature. I know your heart's desires. I will provide the variety‚ challenge and contact with people and exposure to other situations that you need. Each of My workers has different needs‚ and I'm happy to accommodate those needs. So trust Me for the future. But remember that everything I bring into your life is for the express purpose of helping you do a better job. That's My top priority for you‚ that's the queen's top priority for you, and that must be yours as well.
112. I love you‚ My darling. Thank you for coming to Me on this. I'm sorry for the battles, but they come with the territory. With great blessings and great responsibility come great gifts and anointing, but also great battles. It's inevitable. It's not your fault. It's nothing you've done wrong. It's not that you're lifted up in pride or that you've given way to a critical spirit or self-righteousness. I've protected your spirit from these sins. But you've given way to discouragement, comparing, and negative thinking‚ which have stolen your happiness.
113. I will lead you once again to green pastures of contentment, progress, and inspiration. I will cause you to wake up in the mornings with enthusiasm bursting from your heart and mind! You will stick, and you will accomplish My will until the end. I can tell you the end because I know you will fight, pray, and hold on. (End of message from Jesus.)
114. (Mama:) Thank You, sweet wonderful Husband, for Your excellent counsel and for giving it to us so freely! You'll be happy to know, dear Family, that receiving this message marked the turning point for dear Misty. She had been struggling with these battles for about six months, not knowing what was wrong, thinking that a change of circumstances was needed, when it was just the Enemy fighting her, and thus fighting the Word—because she helps me to work on the Word!
115. The keys to victory the Lord gave for Gabe and the ones He gave for Misty are slightly different. The battles in each case were slightly different. And for those of you who are under attack, your battles and the Lord's specific answers for you will also probably be different. But thank the Lord we can just ask Him and get the correct diagnosis! Thank You Jesus!
The Cure Is Still the Same
—The Word!
116. Next is a very good message from Dad about the Enemy's attacks, and the all-time cure. Like Dad says, you might think that because you're not experiencing these feelings that Gabe and Misty were going through that you're not under attack. If you think that, read on!
117. (Dad speaking:) After reading these strong messages you might feel, "I'm not experiencing anything that severe, so I must not be under attack right now." Maybe you aren't, but knowing the Evil One and how much he hates each of you, the Lord's precious, loyal, faithful witnesses‚ His chosen brides, I would be very surprised if you're not!
118. The Enemy is very subtle. He doesn't always hit you over the head with a two-by-four or hit you head-on, in such a way that it's obviously him attacking you. His more common tactic is to gently, slowly pull you away from the Word, away from your life-source, away from what he knows will keep you strong regardless of what he tries.
119. If he can get you away from the Word‚ his job is easy from there on out. Granted, even if you're soaking in the Word daily‚ he will still try to fight you, but you'll have a good resistance against him, and you'll be able to put up a good fight—and best of all, you'll have full faith to call for help and avail yourself of the Lord's deliverance.
120. So‚ dear Family, whatever you do, don't neglect the Word! If you start to feel a little funny, a little under the weather spiritually‚ don't wait till you've got a full–blown sickness! Stop right then and there and go see your Great Physician‚ and ask Him to diagnose the problem! Then follow His directions, which will most likely include good doses of the Word and regular follow-up visits with the Doctor!
121. And if you read this message and realize that you've been under attack for some time—either a subtle attack or a more all-out obvious one, the cure is still the same—the Word! And not just a one-time dose, either, but a real daily soaking. It'll take time if you've become a little distant from the Word, so don't expect things to change overnight. Don't just sit down and determine to read for an hour and expect that all your worries will be over. It will take much more time than one short reading and feeding on the Word. If your spirit has become a little dry, you need to water it faithfully over a long period of time and really let the water of His Word soak in and be absorbed by your spirit.
122. It's just like working on dry ground and preparing it for seeds—the drier the ground, the more water it needs. It's a fact that if you water the ground it will be softened and the seeds will grow and spring forth into new life. So don't give up, but just keep watering, keep reading and soaking in the water of life, and you'll soon see and feel the wonderful effects of the Word.
123. So the point is, dear Family‚ if you feel the slightest little attack on your spirit, or you notice that you're not hungering and thirsting after the Word like you should be, call out to the Lord immediately! Don't wait until you're so weak you can barely hang on anymore! Get help now! The Enemy is fighting hard, and he's playing for keeps. Wake up to the war we're in, and don't try to ignore your battle wounds or the times when you're supposed to retreat into our precious Husband's arms for restrengthening. We've got a big fight ahead of us, and the Lord needs every one of you! So take it seriously, amen? I love you! Love, Dad (End of message from Dad.)
124. (Mama:) Thank you, Dad, for your help and counsel. Isn't it wonderful to have the privilege of asking the Lord (and Dad) any question and receiving the answers we need? I just can't get over what a treasure it is, what a precious gift—and as Gabe and Misty can testify, a real lifesaver!
125. I know the Lord can and will do the same for you too, dear Family. We're counting on you to seek Him and let Him shepherd you so that you can continue to be fruitful and happy in His service. We need you desperately!—As do the lost, those who are waiting on you and your witness to receive the gift of Jesus' love. We have a big job to do, and it's not nearly over yet. So Lord help us to be desperate with Him for the sake of the lost, if not for our own sake. Amen? I love you and am praying for you, and know you can make it!
Always yours in our wonderful Husband,
Mama
126. P.S. Gabe and Misty wanted to tell you themselves of the wonderful miracle the Lord did in their lives after receiving these messages and obeying the points therein. They made it through and lived to tell about it—and they can testify that the battles don't last forever; they come to pass! Praise the Lord! So I'll turn the floor over to them.
Receiving and Believing
—Lessons from Gabe
127. (Gabe:) The key to victory for me was receiving and believing the messages the Lord and Dad had for me. Being willing to accept these messages gave me the faith to obey and do the things they were asking me to do. Although I haven't yet been able to do everything the Lord asked me to do, the initial victory came through accepting the admonition and instruction He had for me.
128. It's not always easy to receive correction, but even before I got these messages, I made the difficult decision that no matter what the Lord said, these words were His love and answers for me. Having a receptive attitude helped me to have faith in these messages rather than quibble over anything I might not understand.
129. After yielding, now I'm working on the obedience and follow-through part. I've testified to the Home and asked for united prayer. Another thing that has been of great value and has given me faith is disciplining myself to stop and type up the Lord's personal words for me each morning before I start my day. Like the song says, "I met God in the morning when the day was at its best." And as a result of spending that time hearing from Him‚ "All day long His presence lingers‚ all day long He stays by me."
130. Being a good shepherd involves being on call much of the time, and you don't have much time to yourself, but the Lord has shown me that I can't survive without taking time with Him and getting the positive input that I desperately need.
131. So please don't let yourself get in the sad spiritual state that I got myself into because I didn't spend enough time with the Lord. After a period of time it will take a toll on you and you'll feel like giving up and quitting. You'll start thinking about it in your mind, and eventually, if you yield to those thoughts, you'll start to give up, and quit. Please take the advice that the Lord and Dad have given me and apply it to yourself and your situation‚ and I know that the Lord will give you tremendous victory, as He has me.
132. Here's a message that the Lord gave me with some terrific tips on how to maintain the wonderful victory that He's given me, and cautions about what will happen if I don't fight to take the time I need with Him.
Keep Up the Momentum!
133. (Jesus speaking:) You have gotten a wonderful victory over your negative thinking‚ boredom‚ lack of vision‚ and the spiritual attacks of the Enemy through your yieldedness, your desire to obey and do My will. This has brought forth victory in the spirit, one which comes as a result of your personal choice to yield. This is the first step to victory—yieldedness to My will—and without that personal decision of the heart to yield, I can't give the victory.
134. This is why you, My shepherd, have been able to claim the victory, because you have yielded to the main thing that I've asked of you, the bottom line of My will in your life—not to forsake your crown and place of service, but to continue in the calling that I've given you as a shepherd to those in My queen and king's house.
135. You've accepted that this is My highest will for you‚ in spite of your feelings or the temptation to move on. You've accepted and yielded to My will above your own desires, and this has opened the door to victory, freedom of spirit, relief from the burdens that were pressing you in spirit, relief from the attacks of the Enemy on your mind. I've blessed you with victory‚ and with the feeling of victory.
136. Now you walk in victory, you feel lighter in spirit, and your mate and others see a difference in your spirit because of this initial yieldedness. You're calmer, more at peace, because you've yielded and accepted My highest will for your life. You're beginning to see the pathway ahead of you more clearly and are not so buffeted by the lies of the Enemy, or the confusion of thoughts and spirit. I'm blessing you for your yieldedness and obedience.
137. But it's very important that you not let down your guard now and not assume that because you feel better, your outlook is clearer, your attitude is more positive, that you don't have to keep up the momentum of your initial yielding in spirit. Now that you've obeyed the things that I've shown you—you've asked for united prayer and given your testimony before others, you're taking personal P&P time with Me every morning and are striving to have Word time—you have to fight to keep up the momentum in order to go from strength to strength. You've yielded in the main area of accepting My will, but in order to do My highest will, you have to continue yielding every day to the things that I want to use in your life to make you strong and able to perform My will.
138. The Enemy will tempt you to think that you don't have to keep it up, that you don't really have to take personal Word time every day or follow through with the things that I've shown you. Your spirit is in the process of being healed, you are stronger, you have victory, and it's more important now than ever that you fight to strengthen that victory, to keep it, to hold on to it through regular daily spiritual feeding of My Word, through spending some time with Me.
139. You're going to be tempted to think that you just can't afford to spend time with Me and My Word every day when there's so much to do, so many people to minister to, so many sheep bleating for your shepherding. You feel you've already fallen behind in your work. You're going to wonder if I really expect you to continue this daily Word schedule now that you've yielded and gotten the victory. You'll be tempted to think that you can forge ahead now without it and carry on ministering and pouring out to others. You feel you've gotten a victory and there's no more need to spend time ministering to yourself and your own needs.
140. It's true that you have gotten a victory through your yieldedness, but that victory has to be strengthened through daily communion with Me, through letting Me speak to your heart, wash your heart, and comfort and love and uphold your spirit; otherwise you'll slowly drift back to your old ways.
141. This has been your weak area—that of not spending the time you need with Me—and you have to strengthen yourself in this area. Otherwise you will not be strong enough to continue to walk in the victory that I've given you. The Word is what will build up your spiritual defenses against any future attacks of the Enemy. You walk in victory now against today's attacks, against this battle, but you must continue to drink deeply of My Word and My Spirit in order to have the anointing of victory for future attacks of the Enemy. My Word and My Spirit are your only protection against the Enemy's attempts to penetrate and steal away your victory.
142. You can't let down your guard now. You can't set aside the guidelines that I've given you for your spiritual strengthening just because you've gotten the initial victory. The spiritual warfare continues and you must continue to raise the standard of My Word in your life in order to continue to walk in the anointing and strength of your victory.
143. You have the victory‚ but you've got to fight to maintain it‚ to hold it fast, and you do that through keeping your connection with Me strong. This would be the worst time for you to let down your guard and think that you can go on without taking time with Me and My Word‚ because you're not strong enough since you've been under the Enemy's attacks for months. If you let down your guard now and try to go on without the power of My Spirit, you'll be in even worse shape than before because the letdown‚ discouragement and defeat will be much greater. No one can go on without My power‚ My Spirit working through them, and the only way to get that power is by taking time with Me.
144. I expect you to do the things that I've asked of you for your own spiritual survival and usefulness to Me. I've given you victory, but I also expect you to keep that victory‚ to walk in its anointing by putting Me and My Word first, before your duties, before feeding the flock. You have to take the time that every shepherd needs with Me‚ your Great Shepherd. I'm pleased with the things that you've already done, the steps that you've already taken, but I want you to carry on, to keep up the good work and not think that you can now let your service in the wings overtake your time with Me. The warfare is too important, your spiritual health is too important, and your sample to the flock is too important. Your sample to the Family is too important. You don't have a good enough excuse to forgo your Word time with Me, and if there's any testimony that will speak loudly to the Family and be the greatest help to them, it will be your testimony of finding the strength you need from Me and My Word.
145. Your yieldedness and acceptance of My will was the first and most important step‚ and without this step, I would not have been able to give you the victory, but the yieldedness and acceptance won't last without a strengthening of your spirit through time with Me and My Word. You have to continue to fight for your daily Word time and make this a part of your testimony, because it's a very important ingredient in continuing to hold on to your victory.
146. You are very busy, and I understand this. If you can't set aside time to review or memorize quotes or verses on your own, you can do this with others, or make it a united Home activity, or make it part of your get-out.
147. As you do your part I will continue to do My part and bless your victory, enhance your victory, and help you to walk in the full blessings of full victory. But you must put forth the effort and work at staying close to Me, putting the emphasis on My Word first in your life. If you can't get together a full reading list and add quotes to your quote book every day, but if you do what you can and I see your desperation of spirit to want to do these things, I will still bless it and count it unto you as victory. Your spirit and attitude has to be, "My time with the Lord and His Word is so important that I've just got to have it," and not, "There's so much to do that I just can't take time with the Lord."
148. As you fight to put priority on Me and My Word, this will cause your victory to blossom into its fullest state and you'll progress and move forward in spirit like never before. But if you do the least possible, the minimum that you feel you can get away with, you'll only walk in partial victory. It'll be victorious enough to keep you relatively happy and able to do your ministry, but you won't be growing, challenged and moving with the power of My Spirit. (End of message from Jesus.)
Misty's Testimony of Deliverance!
149. (Misty:) After Mama heard the previous message from the Lord for me and the horrible explanation/prayer that preceded it, in which I poured out all my negativity, discontent, problems and trials, she called me to come discuss some work with her. We usually talk on the intercom‚ but this time we sat together outside for a change. We talked about different work points‚ and then she nonchalantly said‚ "Oh, I listened to your long personal tape." She was very calm and sweet. She wasn't upset at all, or taken aback. She was concerned and manifested a lot of understanding for how bad I felt and how much I was struggling. (This is very admirable‚ because in my prayer I had been very negative and discontent about my work and situation‚ and she could have taken some of the things I said personally, as in a sense I was blaming her and being somewhat critical.)
150. After we talked about ten minutes about it‚ she prayed for me, a powerful prayer of deliverance‚ and then I prayed, asking the Lord to forgive me for my murmuring and for listening to the lies of the Enemy. I made a commitment to fight. We had a very sweet time of prayer and communion with the Lord and each other. It wasn't "heavy" or scary in any way. Mama didn't raise her voice or in any way indicate that she was disappointed in me. Her prayer was powerful and strong, and Mama definitely meant business in her rebuking Oplexicon, but she never made me feel that she was mad at me. She realized I was being hit by the Enemy and she was fighting with me.
151. We then went on to talk about all kinds of other things, some work and personal things. We had sweet fellowship and laughed and even joked about how inaccurate some of my complaints had been. Thank God I had communicated them so I could get these things straightened out.
152. After I received this prophecy and Mama prayed for me, there was a tremendous difference in my state of mind. I felt like a new person! Instead of having these horrible‚ negative, sad thoughts, and feeling quite depressed and totally uninspired, I was eager to get to my desk to work. Instead of barely having the strength to get up in the morning, seeing each day as a struggle, I felt energetic and totally renewed.
153. This is the biggest, most obvious deliverance I've ever had in my life. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I haven't had any of those bad thoughts or negative comparisons since, and my joy has been totally renewed for my ministry, daily Word time, hearing from the Lord in prophecy, and being in my present situation.
154. The Lord said: "When you ask for prayer, I will release to you mighty spirit helpers, those who are exercised at fighting and defeating your enemy, Oplexicon. Though he reigns in the dark kingdom with such power, and though for generations he has fought the truth and caused much defeat and setbacks of the worst kind, he is nothing before My Name, and the name of David and Maria and Peter. Like your father taught you, you have but to utter the Name of Jesus to fell all the demons of Hell, Oplexicon, and Satan himself!"
155. I know this to be true, because I feel the power and effects of those mighty spirit helpers, and I have seen the Enemy defeated! The Lord answered prayer—almost instantaneously! It's a miracle! I have had prayer for other problems or besetting sins over the years, but I have never experienced such a monumental‚ immediate deliverance. I know it doesn't always happen that way, but I'm very happy that it happened this time‚ as I desperately needed and wanted the victory! Thank You‚ Jesus‚ our wonderful Husband, Lover and Victor!
156. The Lord helped me to feel better almost instantly when Mama prayed for me, and I continued to feel completely free of that horrible oppression in the days that followed. There was not a trace of it! (Matthew: I can testify that it was truly a miraculous deliverance and Misty was totally different the moment she returned from her prayer with Mama. The Lord opened her eyes and set her free from the grip of the Enemy. She has had a hunger for the Word since then that I have never seen in the years we have been together.) But in spite of this, I knew I needed to follow through with the Lord's instruction to ask for united prayer from my loved ones in our Home.
157. I felt it was important to confess my sins and ask for prayer, not only to right the wrongs of the bad sample that I'm sure I'd been at times, since you can't entertain the Enemy's lies so much without it eventually coming out of your mouth, but also because I knew that if I neglected to ask for prayer from the body, then the process wouldn't be complete. During one of our next communion times I shared my lessons. I also read excerpts of the prophecy included in this GN and asked for prayer that I would keep fighting‚ and that the Lord would continue to defeat the Enemy in my life.
158. After having these battles, I felt the need to write a note to Mama and Peter—probably more for my sake than theirs. It was part of my commitment and declaration of faith. I'll include it here for you to read as I want you to know how Mama and Peter reacted to these very icky battles and my dumping them with no holds barred.
To my dearest king and queen, my wonderful friends and lovers,
159. I love you so very much! I was just preparing to ask for prayer tomorrow at communion related to the big battles I've had with boredom, frustration‚ etc. Actually it will be a sweet time to glorify our wonderful Husband because He's done such a miracle for me‚ in answer to prayer, that I now feel like a new person. I feel completely renewed, and all those negative thoughts and oppression of the Enemy are gone—G-O–N-E, gone! I've had absolutely none of it, not one single thought. It's a very big miracle!
160. Thank You, sweet Jesus, for the very needed and much appreciated deliverance from that horrible attack of the Enemy! It was long coming, but that only makes the victory sweeter. I don't deserve it and I know I've been horrible, but I'm so very thankful and love You all the more for it. All praise to You, precious Lover and Husband.
161. With this note I want to "officially" apologize to you, Mama and Peter, for the things I said about you in my prayer before the recent prophecy. I know I was not thinking right nor seeing things right. I was very confused and was listening to the lies of the Enemy. I was disrespectful and terribly murmury. I put a very negative slant on almost everything, and was in many ways completely inaccurate. I realize that. In fact, I realized that even at the time, but I felt I needed to share all those thoughts and battles not only with the Lord, but also with you. That prayer was not only my plea to the Lord, but my confession to you of how completely mixed up and weakened I was.
162. Thank you so much for being so understanding and for not condemning me for the accusatory, wrong, false, and half-true things I said. Thank you for not taking it personally. Thank you for not reacting in any way harshly or sensitively. I've never known you to be anything but loving, caring, compassionate, sweet, tender, calm, understanding, encouraging, and tolerant, but I have to admit, this time really took the cake! You were all that and much more! I didn't fear your reaction because I've seen the Lord's unconditional love manifested through you so many times that I knew I could trust you without limit with my heart and my deepest fears and battles.
163. You both reacted as I expected you would, with the love that I've seen in you consistently for years. But I want you to know that I don't take that love, compassion, and forgiveness for granted. I didn't deserve such a very kind response to my comments, which were so ungrateful and murmury‚ so complaining and inaccurate.
164. I'm sorry I listened to the Enemy and got into such a bad state‚ and I will, by God's grace, do my best to resist his horrible lies in the future. I again pledge my loyalty to you with all my heart, and I pray I will‚ by God's grace, follow much more closely in the future. I appreciate the wonderful privilege it is to work with you in whatever capacity the Lord and you see fit. I am eternally grateful for this very high calling, and I pray I never jeopardize it again by not fighting as I should, by laying down my Halloween Wheel, and by listening to the Enemy's lies.
165. Thank you for being my king and queen, my friends, mates and lovers. You both are so very important to me and I would never want to hurt you or do anything that would make your load heavier. Thank you for continuing to love me and keep me close. I appreciate you more than words can say.
Love forever in our wonderful Husband and sweet Lover, Misty
Important notice: GN 857 may be delayed for a short time, since we're still finalizing it. So you may get either GN 858 or 859 or both before you receive GN 857. God's delays aren't denials‚ though. GN 857 is still coming‚ even though it may be delayed a few weeks, until your next mailing. Thanks for your patience. We love you!