Maria
May 5, 2003
By MariaMaria #541 CM/FM 3304 3/00
Please read this series very carefully, taking time to study and reread when necessary. This is a complex subject, and one that can't be understood with a quick skim of the material. If you do not seriously apply yourself to fully grasping and understanding this instruction, you're undoubtedly going to come away with wrong impressions or wrong interpretations, and then you'll be going on that wrong information for who knows how long. Prophecy is mysterious, fascinating, and very deep! If you like things that are "heavy" or "meaty" or not the "party line‚" then read this, because this series is all those things! But you have to commit to studying it‚ because your understanding of prophecy is crucial and will give you more faith and help you have a stronger connection to your lifeline, Jesus!
Reminder: As this series progresses, the questions and issues covered become more complex. It would be good‚ when possible, for you to review Part 1 of this series, as well as the other already-published material on the subject of prophecy, to strengthen and build up your foundation of understanding.
Also, please understand that many of the questions you have will be answered as you continue to read. Only one subject can be covered at a time, so please be patient and trust the Lord as you read, without getting upset or flustered if you feel something isn't totally clear. It will either become clear as you read the rest of the answer, the summary, or the additional material, or it will be covered more in a later question. And if all else fails and you still have questions on some of the details after you've already read the GNs, please ask the Lord.
You will be encouraged to know that this "Understanding Prophecy" series is finalized through Part 4, so there are more answers and much counsel yet to come. We will try to get the other parts of the series to you as soon as possible, Lord helping us.
Dear Family,
1. God bless you! I pray that this series of GNs on how to understand the wonderful new weapon of prophecy is helpful for you. As you've reached out to use prophecy more in your daily lives by "asking the Lord everything," you've undoubtedly come up with questions or wondered if some prophecies you or others have received are "off" somehow, or maybe even false. I want to discuss questions along this line in this GN and share the Lord's wonderful counsel.
2. To begin with, however, here is a message from our loving Husband that I hope will encourage you to keep progressing in this new adventure of hearing from Him about everything.
3. (Jesus speaking:) My precious children of David, you have been given a great gift in this new weapon of prophecy. It's exactly what you need for the days ahead, and it will ensure your survival if you know how to use it correctly. But learning to use it takes time, faith, and practice. It takes being willing to use what you know in order to learn more.
4. I'll give you a practical illustration to help you comprehend it better. You're in boot camp—prophecy training, you might call it. You've just been issued the latest weapon; it's been placed in your hands and you've been given the orders to learn how to use it. You're not on your own, because you have instructors and counselors around, your shepherds, and you have a manual to read with instructions and general guidelines‚ the abundance of Word I've poured out on the subject and the guidelines of how to be a reliable channel.
5. Yet even after reading the manual, there is much to learn about the practical use of this high–powered weapon. You have to learn how it works, how to adjust it, how to aim accurately, how to take it apart and clean it, how to carry it discreetly, how to repair it, and how to reload it. It's a computerized weapon, so you have to learn basic circuitry and how to program it correctly. It's powerful, and you have to learn how to use it safely. But all these things you will have help to learn, if you step out to practice with it and operate in counsel and humility.
6. You ask questions when you aren't sure, and you go back to the manual for refreshers of the basics frequently. You're not too proud to listen and adjust something when one of the instructors taps you on the shoulder and points something out, because you realize that this is a very complicated weapon that no one expects you to automatically know how to operate; it takes time and practice. Even if you consider yourself a sharpshooter, you still wouldn't consider yourself a professional until you've learned more about this new weapon.
7. Well, My beloved ones, that's the way it is with using this new weapon of prophecy that I've placed in your hands. You're very much amateurs compared to all there is yet to master in the use of this weapon. You still have a lot to learn before you become professionals. As long as you're willing to learn‚ and you take instructions well and are faithful to refer back to the manuals frequently, you'll make steady progress and will eventually graduate with honors.
8. You're in a protected environment; I've placed many safeguards around you while you're learning more about this fascinating and multi–faceted subject. As long as you abide by the guidelines I've put forth and stay in the learner's seat, always ready to admit that you're still learning, never too proud to find out something new, and yielded enough to change the way you were doing something when you find a better way to do it, you will do no damage to yourself or to the others in the course.
9. Some of you find yourselves discouraged when you receive a conflicting prophecy—when your weapon reacts in a way that you didn't expect, or when you don't quite hit the target, or maybe when you can't figure out how to reload it‚ etc. You wonder if it's just too complicated for you to ever become skilled at. But I promise you that it's not! The folks who will learn the fastest are those who remain willing to admit that they don't know it all and that they have a lot to learn! It's a spiritual principle: Stay empty of yourself, ready to be filled with Me.
10. Everyone who wants to learn can learn. All those who stick with it will eventually become skillful and knowledgeable and able to defeat the Enemy in combat with this powerful weapon. And just as learning to wield your weapon is essential before going into combat‚ so is learning to become skilled and exercised in using your gift of prophecy in order to survive the days ahead. Just as someone wouldn't think of skipping that course before heading off to war, so you shouldn't even consider skipping the prophecy course, or think it's too complicated, if you're planning on being one of David's mighty men in the days to come! It's essential! Remember that, let it stick with you, and let it give you faith and encourage you that you're just learning—so stay open! Don't let the Enemy discourage you! You'll eventually graduate with honors if you stay humble and yielded and don't quit! (End of message from Jesus.)
11. (Mama:) The format of this GN and the ones that follow will be slightly different than Part 1‚ in that when needed I will include more commentary besides just the summary to the question. This is because the questions in these next parts of the series are more complex‚ so it's sometimes helpful to include more explanation, examples, or application of the point the Lord is making.
12. If you have further questions after reading this GN, please ask the Lord. Also, I want to remind you that there's tremendous information regarding understanding and using prophecy in Part 1 of this series and the series "Prophecy Questions You May Have Always Wanted to Ask" (ML #3019, Lifelines 22; ML #3035-3036, Lifelines 23). Please review those Letters from time to time, as they provide a foundation of information that is crucial to your wise use of prophecy. Thanks!
"Colored" prophecies
13. (Question: ) Why do most prophecies sound quite a bit like the way the channel talks? Of course there are exceptions‚ and some prophecies sound very supernatural and magnificent and like God is actually speaking. But most sound rather "human." Does that mean they're less inspired of the Lord?
14. (Jesus speaking:) The wording and presentation of prophecy is unintentionally colored by the channel to some degree, for I use the gifts, qualities, vocabulary, and even personality of the channel to give the message a particular hue or color. A message will often reflect the channel's favorite and oft-used sayings or slang words, and even the grammatical errors that occur in the channel's day-to-day speech will show up in their prophecies. The reason for this is that I work hand in hand with the channel's mind and speech habits and personal vocabulary. There are rare occasions when I'm able to punch through with words that the channel doesn't know and has never heard. But this takes great faith, and most channels expect to understand what they're receiving and giving from Me, so I work within their known vocabulary.
15. I also give messages that are tailored to how the channel likes to hear things. For example‚ if the channel likes to hear My Words very directly and even bluntly, then I'm able to speak that way. If the channel likes to hear things in word pictures, if that's the key element for their being able to understand and remember lessons, then I speak that way. If a channel likes details and has the faith to receive them, then I'm able to give more specific, detailed messages. If the channel prefers broader concepts, then I speak in that fashion. If the channel prefers flowery language, or an approach that is more formal, or one that is more cozy and familiar, then I take all that into consideration and speak in that manner. If the channel likes repetition and for a subject to be covered again and again from every possible angle, then I speak in that way. This is all part of how the messages I give through a channel can be colored according to the channel's preferences.
16. It's not a bad thing to give a colored prophecy; it's inevitable, because each person is a unique individual. Therefore each message will have some reflection of the personality and uniqueness of the channel. I've allowed that and even ordained it so that there would be more variety in the reception and delivery of My messages. Wouldn't it be boring if all prophecies sounded very similar—with the same limited vocabulary, the same style, the same examples or word pictures? Wouldn't that be a pitifully limited reflection of My counsel and the vast spectrum of lessons that I want to give you?
17. So don't worry if a prophecy is "colored" by the channel's manner of speaking and favorite expressions and even the grammatical errors which that person usually makes. That is not a sign that the prophecy is not inspired or that it is a product of that person's mind or own spirit. It's simply evidence that I'm working with that person; I'm using that person's mind, his education, his preferences‚ his likes and dislikes, as I give My Words through him. I don't worry about the person's imperfections, such as grammatical errors, or a limited historical knowledge of past events, or even a limited knowledge of Bible history or Endtime events. I can work around the physical and mental limitations of My channels and I can make Myself understood in spite of such limitations.
18. So don't let yourself be stumbled or get sidetracked if a message that I give through a channel sounds very much like the way that channel speaks and the words he uses on a daily basis. Just look at that as part of My special "coloring" of My Words to you, which is as varied as the colors of the rainbow. Be thankful for such coloring, for it gives variety, spice, and allows Me to speak differently through different ones.
19. Each channel has a different "color," just as each person relates a story differently. I could give the same message through two different channels and it would be related very differently, possibly with different word pictures and different approaches to getting the points across, but it would be generally the same message. I am moving and flexible‚ and I'm happy if I can get My message across; I'm not stuck on the idea that it has to be a certain way. I take responsibility for giving a true prophecy through My dependable channels, if you'll just trust Me and let Me use you as I see fit—including your personality‚ education‚ vocabulary, experiences, preferences‚ likes and dislikes. (End of message from Jesus.)
20. (Summary of answer:) All prophecies are "colored" to some degree according to the channel's personality, education, vocabulary, experiences, preferences, likes and dislikes. The Lord uses this to add variety to His messages, and also because He likes to work hand in hand with us, His channels. Therefore you shouldn't criticize or be skeptical of a message if it sounds similar to how the channel speaks; this is perfectly acceptable and does not in any way indicate that the prophecy is not inspired of the Lord.
21. (More from Mama:) Another point to consider is that the Lord wants us to take His Word of prophecy by faith. When I asked the Lord why the prophecies I receive sound much like my normal manner of speaking, not eloquent or supernatural, He said:
22. When the words that I give in prophecy sound so "human" to you, so much like your own expressions or thoughts, it's a test for My channels. It's a constant test for you to continue to receive by faith even though you don't understand why I speak the way I do, why I choose to express Myself through you in a certain way‚ why I don't sound more eloquent at times‚ why I even make grammatical errors, and all of those seeming human weaknesses. It's a test of faith that you will still choose to believe My voice of prophecy no matter what, that you will choose to accept and receive, even if you don't understand all of the whys and hows of My voice. (End of message from Jesus.)
n Additional reading:
23. (Jesus speaking: ) My Spirit is flexible; it flows and is moving and changing. When I have a message to give, I don't have it locked in a strongbox so that every word is structured and pre–prepared and limited, but I work with and through My channels. I work according to their faith, according to their vacuum, according to their freedom in the spirit. That's why many of the messages I give have such variety, because I adapt the delivery of the message according to the channel. But the content of the message is the same‚ because as I said, I know what I want to say. But sometimes I am able to add more detail or give a more complete message or include more word pictures, depending on the faith, vacuum and desperation of the channel. (End of message from Jesus) (ML #3134:129, Lifelines 24).
"Influenced" prophecies
24. (Question: ) Is every prophecy perfect? Aren't some prophecies influenced by the channel in ways other than just the unavoidable "coloring"?
25. (Jesus speaking: ) Not every prophecy is perfect. Not every prophecy is complete. There are some ways in which the channel receiving the prophecy can influence the prophecy. If the channel is desperate for My will and keeps coming back to Me for more information, and checks in with Me for further clarification and confirmation each step of the way, then most influences from the channel that occur in prophecies are not dangerous and will not cause serious harm to the work or the channel.
26. When I talk about a prophecy being "influenced" by the channel, I'm not referring to the style of its delivery or the choice of words I use to get the point across, which I refer to as "coloring." An influenced prophecy is where some of the spirit or mind of the channel affects the message and causes a change either in the intensity of the presentation, the completeness or fullness of the message, or the details or direction of the message itself.
27. For example, a shepherd might receive an accurate prophecy about someone's problems, but it could be influenced by the shepherd's feelings of frustration or self-righteousness, to the point that the message is presented much more strongly and forcefully than I would have preferred. Also, if a channel has emotions, such as in–love feelings or fears of the person's reaction to the message, it can cause that channel to pull back and not receive the full message‚ or to receive a message that is more sympathetic than effective.
28. It doesn't mean that the actual message is wrong in such influenced prophecies, but because the channel quenched the spirit through their own feelings or emotions on the matter by not praying desperately that I would override such feelings, I was not able to give as complete a message or in exactly the manner that I wanted to give it. If someone prays about a situation but they don't desperately ask Me to override their emotions, frustrations or fears about the person's reaction to the message, then that can affect either the presentation or the completeness of the message. In such a case, the overall message can be right and accurate, but the presentation can be too forceful or too sympathetic or too indulgent, or certain aspects of the message can be omitted altogether.
29. A prophecy can also be influenced by the channel's lack of focus or concentration. If the channel is distracted either by noise, exhaustion, or personal battles, then there can be a lapse in the communication and there can be wrong words received, or an incomplete message can be received. Sometimes when the channel is not focused, the various points of the message in the prophecy can be received out of order, or there can be much repetition, as the channel goes in and out of full concentration. This is usually not a serious problem, because if you have any questions or doubts about something, you can just ask Me and I'll clarify it.
30. A common cause contributing to incomplete prophecies is lack of time to receive My full answer. This could be for many reasons: poor planning on the part of the channel in not allotting sufficient time to hear from Me; or the channel may have anticipated that I was going to give a fairly "quick reply" when, in fact‚ I had more to say on the subject; or perhaps something unexpected comes up that the channel needs to ask Me about, but because of other circumstances beyond their control, there is not enough time to get the complete message. There could be many reasons for lack of time to hear a complete message, but whatever the surrounding circumstances, should you feel rushed or that you did not have enough time to receive My full answer, it is important to come back to Me later and ask if there is any more I want to say on the subject, to check whether you got it all‚ or to fill in any gaps if necessary.
31. Also, if a channel is not fully yielded, then the message received will often be an incomplete message. When there is unyieldedness in the channel's heart and I know they would not have the faith to receive the full message, then I'm unable to give it, because I know they would resist it. So I give as much of the message as I can, as much as I know they're able to bear and receive, according to their faith and yieldedness. A message of this type that is adapted to the person's faith and yieldedness is an influenced prophecy. It's an imperfect or incomplete prophecy, but that doesn't make it wrong or false.
32. Sometimes when a channel is not aware of the full situation or is basing their assumptions on wrong information, then the prophecy can be influenced. The result could be a message that is not taking all things into consideration, or is perhaps even considering the wrong things. I am teaching you to ask Me everything. As you ask Me about a wide range of subjects and situations, the channel will find that with some questions it is beneficial, when possible, to counsel about whatever issue you're praying about, to make sure you have as much accurate information and as clear an understanding of the situation as possible. The purpose of this is not to have a discussion that leads to forming your own opinions or drawing your own conclusions.
33. This counseling should be bathed in desperate prayer beforehand, asking Me to establish your thoughts and lead you. It should be with the purpose of seeking a fuller understanding of the situation. This helps the channel formulate their questions properly and in more detail, if necessary, covering different angles to the equation. If the channel begins by basing their question on wrong information and/or preconceived ideas of what they perceive the situation to be, it could influence their ability or faith to receive a clear or complete message.
34. Naturally, there are limitations involved and times when you cannot be apprised of all sides of the situation and all the details. This is common‚ in fact. For this reason‚ you should pray that you will not allow any preconceived ideas that you have formed, as a result of your knowledge of the situation, to affect your faith to receive My Words. If you desperately ask Me to help you not to be moved even by what you feel you know to be the situation, then I will give you more faith to give My message without question, even if it goes contrary to the physical circumstances or what your knowledge of the situation would indicate.
35. Of course, if you are basing your question to Me on wrong information, I could choose to ignore the wrong information, to override it, and give the message that would apply to the true information as I know it to be. But I often don't do that, especially if the channel has not consciously asked Me to override wrong assumptions or information. Without making this conscious request, most people don't have the faith to receive a message that is completely contrary to their expectations and how they see the situation. I use such situations as lessons for My children on the importance of coming back to Me again and again‚ and through such situations I keep in close touch with you. In this way you learn to truly work hand in hand and in teamwork with Me and your Heavenly helpers.
36. All of these types of circumstances that cause a prophecy to be influenced by the channel do not make it false, and these little problems or imperfections can be overcome and clarified easily as you come to Me for further information and answers to questions that come up. You don't need to worry about or overreact to influenced prophecies‚ but trust Me. Know that I will give you discernment as you pray about the messages you receive. I'll show you when there's a need to seek confirmation from other channels, or to seek Me for more clarifications. (End of message from Jesus.)
37. (Summary of answer:) An influenced prophecy is where the channel's mind or spirit actually effects a change in either the presentation the Lord would want the message to have or in the content of the message. The presentation is influenced when the channel's emotions or bias enter the picture, thus making the presentation of the message either weaker or more intense. In such cases, the message is basically accurate, but the presentation is not exactly as the Lord would want. In other cases of influenced prophecies, the message itself can be affected in that it can be incomplete due to such things as lack of sufficient time or the channel not being fully yielded, or the details or direction of the message can be slightly altered, but the message is still within the Lord's will.
38. Prophecies can be influenced by the channel due to the following reasons:
The Lord says that if the channel consciously asks Him to override any false assumptions and incorrect information, He can punch through with complete messages. Without desperately seeking the Lord to override preconceived ideas, however, most people lack faith to receive something that is completely contrary to their natural way of looking at the situation. The Lord could ignore or override the false information or assumptions when you come to Him with a question that's not based soundly on fact, because of course He knows the score. But He usually chooses not to do so, as He uses such situations to keep you coming back to Him. In this way you learn to truly work hand in hand and in teamwork with the Lord and your Heavenly helpers.
(Note: There is more information on counseling and discussing before hearing from the Lord in Part 4 of this series.)
39. Influenced prophecies are still good prophecies; they're not false. But the key is to keep going back to the Lord, because then He can keep fine-tuning the counsel He gives you and is able to fill in the gaps.
40. (More from Mama:) Here are some further clarifications regarding the above general points:
41. Ø It's wise to pray specifically before receiving a prophecy for someone else, that you will receive it with the intensity of presentation that the Lord knows is best. If you allow your emotions to influence you when receiving a prophecy, it can affect the presentation of the message so that it's not presented quite like the Lord would desire. If it's too sympathetic, it might not clearly present the problem areas or where the person needs to change. If it's too stern, it might not include enough encouragement or hope for the future. This type of influence can also be noted in public prophecies, in that the volume with which the prophecy is given or the tone of voice of the channel can be too strong, making a mild message of instruction appear to be a strong rebuke.
42. Ø If you feel the presentation of a prophecy that was given for someone else has been influenced, ask the Lord about it. He might want to "adjust" the prophecy by speaking to you further in prophecy and indicating that some additions or changes could be made in the prophecy. If someone other than the original channel is praying about a message, and if the Lord indicates in prophecy that the message needs some adjustments in the form of additions or rewordings, etc., it would be good, if possible, to explain such changes to the person who originally received the prophecy.
43. Ø If the shepherds of a Home feel that a prophecy that was given in public was influenced by the channel's emotions so that the presentation was too intense, causing the prophecy to be scary or too strong, the shepherds should pray about it privately, in case a clarification or follow-up of some kind is needed.
44. Ø If you feel a word or phrase might be wrong in a prophecy‚ ask the Lord about it specifically. Don't just assume it's wrong and change it. Sometimes what looks like a "mistaken word" is exactly what the Lord intended to say.
45. Ø Not all repetition is a sign of a lack of concentration and therefore indicative of an influenced prophecy. The Lord often repeats for the sake of emphasis. But if the repetition is extreme, then possibly the channel was distracted.
46. Ø The Lord doesn't wait for your 100%‚ full, complete yieldedness before He's willing to give you reliable counsel on whatever subject it is that you're unyielded about. If you're unyielded, you might not receive complete prophecies and the Lord might have to hide some aspects of His will or counsel on that topic until you're ready. But what He gives you will be good and reliable, because He knows you're trying and He wants to help you.
47. For example, say you need to form a parenting teamwork with someone to fulfill your 20-month minimum responsibility due to your having created a baby‚ but you really don't want to; in fact‚ you'd like to move to another Home right away, if that were possible. But you make the decision to ask the Lord about it. It's a step of yieldedness to even be willing to hear what the Lord has to say. You may still be set in your ways and determined NOT to be in that parenting teamwork if you can get out of it, but you're at least willing to ask the Lord for some counsel.
48. In such a case‚ the Lord knows you won't be willing or have the faith to receive a prophecy about how it's His will for you to stay with that person for 20 months. That counsel would be too much for you; you'd reject it. So instead He tells you to not move to another Home, to just give it time‚ to wait and see. Okay, you have the faith for that. Then if you're willing to continue to go back to the Lord, He can continue to give you more counsel, little by little. Pretty soon, as you get over the initial shock and rebellion you feel toward the 20-month idea, and as you see that that other person that you're having a baby with is not that bad, and is in fact pretty sweet, you become more open. Eventually the Lord is able to show you in prophecy that the parenting teamwork is the best plan, and you can receive it because your yieldedness has increased.
49. In a case like that, the earlier prophecies were influenced by your unyieldedness, and were incomplete. But they were still good prophecies, and the Lord was still able to use them to get you to the place He wanted you to be.
50. Ø When you're praying about something of great importance, it's recommended that you first ask the Lord for general guidance. Then counsel with your co-workers, shepherds, parents‚ etc.‚ and then go back to the Lord for more specific information. By having the Lord's general direction you will be able to have fruitful counseling times, and then, based on the ideas and information gleaned from your counseling, you can formulate more specific questions to ask Him, which will more likely be based on good information.
51. Ø When you feel you've finished receiving a message, ask the Lord or your spirit helper if there's anything else. This will also help avoid incomplete messages that don't give the full story.
52. Ø In the answer from the Lord in paragraphs 25 through 36, He explained the importance of going back to Him for more information, and checking in with Him for further clarification and confirmation each step of the way as you're seeking His will in prophecy. If you're feeling a little bewildered about how many times you need to keep asking and when you can proceed by faith with what the Lord has shown you, please see the counsel in the next part of this series.
n Additional reading:
53. (Jesus speaking:) If you're to avoid incomplete messages, the best thing would be to stop and check in with Me each time. Ask Me or the spirit helper giving the message if the message is complete or if there is any more to be said, any clarifications that need to be made, if you've received all there is.
54. I work through you, weak women and men. I understand and sympathize with the weakness of the flesh, the drawbacks of the human frame. I know it's all too easy to become weary, tired‚ or to be pressed by time. This is why this all–important step is to your advantage, and you'd do well to make it a habit.
55. This is wisdom. You not only need to pray in earnest before receiving a message, giving Me praise and asking Me to clear your channel and override your own thoughts, but I would have you also pray at the end of each message. Check in with Me, ask Me if this is all, or if there is any more I want to give. This will help you to guard against incomplete messages. (End of message from Jesus.)
56. (Jesus speaking:) In some influenced prophecies, there are some facts or some instruction or some truth that the channel just doesn't have the faith to give, such as the example of a mother who is praying about how to discipline her child. She can't receive from Me that her child's behavior merits a swat‚ because she strongly opposes such forms of punishment, yet she receives the rest of My counsel on this topic. In this case, the prophecy is influenced by her own point of view, her likes‚ dislikes, preferences‚ or what she has the faith for, which results in an incomplete message.
57. However, I take her where she's at. I work with her‚ I love her, and accept her. I'm tolerant of her bias, her weaknesses, and when I speak to her, I speak to her on her ground, taking into consideration what she is able to bear. So in this way the prophecy is influenced; it's not as pure and true as I could give it, because of her emotions. It's incomplete. However, it's a good prophecy. When someone is not able to receive the whole truth, then I allow them to receive a prophecy that is influenced by their limitations. But they can believe and follow that prophecy, because it's better than no prophecy at all.
58. What I'm trying to teach you is tolerance and belief and acceptance of one another. If you expect prophecies to be so absolutely pure and clean and untouched by people's personal bias, emotions or desires, then you'll never believe prophecy. But if you understand that I work through all these, sometimes just bringing you along one step at a time‚ you'll understand how I work.
59. The self–righteous, unmerciful judge would say, "This prophecy is not perfectly void of the channel's own sentiments, therefore strike it from the record!" However, I take you where you're at. I see your emotions, I know of your desires, and I address Myself to you, knowing these and appreciating these, and letting you know, as much as possible, what I expect of you. (End of message from Jesus.)
60. (Jesus speaking:) I've promised that when you ask for bread, you will not receive a stone, and you can rest assured that what I give is the bread you asked for. However, sometimes you must ask and then keep on asking, in order to clarify and confirm the message you've received. For this reason I've instructed that when something is unclear‚ or when there's doubt or a question as to what one of My channels has received, in the mouth of two or more witnesses let everything be established. (End of message from Jesus.)
61. (Mama: ) Some prophecies are not perfect; they're influenced somewhat by the channel. But as the Lord explained, this won't be a problem if you'll keep coming back to Him; if you won't just pray once about something, especially something very important or quite involved, but you'll keep asking Him for confirmations as more questions or details or aspects of the situation come up. There will be times when you may want to ask others to get a confirmation for you, depending on the subject matter and the practicality of having someone available to do so. But often, the same channel will need to go back to the Lord for confirmations and clarifications as needed. It pays to establish this good personal habit of always double-checking and seeking the Lord for confirmation and asking Him further questions if clarifications are needed.
62. So even if you have received an incomplete or imperfect prophecy due to your unyieldedness‚ lack of concentration, lack of faith‚ not taking enough time to hear everything the Lord wants to tell you, or not being correctly or fully informed about the situation that you're praying about, the Lord can help you to resolve any problems and He can fill in the gaps with more truth as you go along. The Lord says:
63. Incomplete or imperfect prophecies are not particularly serious problems, as long as those who are affected by these prophecies keep coming back to Me. I can clarify slips or wrong words. I can fill in the details of My will as the channel grows in yieldedness. I can supply missed information due to interruptions or lack of concentration. I can help you to find My will in spite of wrong information if you'll either pray desperately that I will override that information and then exercise great faith to give whatever I give you, even if it's contrary to what physical circumstances indicate, or you come back to Me as the situation is clarified and you have further questions and need for guidance. (End of message from Jesus.)
How to avoid receiving
"influenced" prophecies
64. (Question:) Knowing there is such a thing as an "influenced prophecy" makes me worry that my prophecies are affected by my own mind or spirit. I'm afraid that I'll get off track if I follow influenced prophecies. What can I do to avoid that?
65. (Jesus speaking: ) My channels who are desperate before Me, who want My will‚ who come before Me with clean hearts, free from unconfessed sin, have nothing to worry about! My precious loves, you must understand that the gift of prophecy that I've given you is not a heavy burden; it's not a weight that you must endure. It's a means through which you can follow Me more closely and know My will more clearly. If you truly wish to use prophecy to enhance your service for Me and to keep you right in the center of My will, then follow these simple guidelines:
ØHave a deep love for Me.
ØBe humble; know that you don't know the answers.
ØKeep your heart clean by confessing your sins.
ØPrime the pump by praising Me.
ØPray desperately before you prophesy, asking Me to override your personal feelings, emotions and desires.
ØCreate a vacuum. One way to do this is by asking specific questions. Then wait.
ØHave faith. Give what you receive without questioning it, analyzing it, or worrying about the consequences. Know that I am able to defend My reputation and you don't have to try to figure out whether the message is coming across right, or makes sense, or is saying what it seems it should.
ØMake a decision before you come to Me that you want to yield. Even if you're battling and having a hard time yielding, as you open your channel to hear from Me, declare your desire to yield, your wish to do My perfect will. I will count this as yieldedness and I will give you a true prophecy, one that I know will be a blessing to you and will lead you in the path of My will.
ØKeep your heart and mind strong in My Word by drinking deeply of the things of the Spirit and by minimizing unedifying and ungodly influences.
ØBe obedient to the Word. Do all you can to follow closely and live the New Wine.
ØWhen possible, receive My Words in a place where you will not be distracted. There are times when you must hear from Me on the go, when you're surrounded by confusion and noise. In such instances I will overlook and wink at the circumstances and I will bind the power of the Enemy. But if you either unwisely choose to have prophecy where there are interruptions and distractions, or you don't bring your thoughts into subjection but let your mind wander‚ then you can miss parts of the message. So concentrate, focus‚ and suck My seeds with all your attention and desire.
ØIf you counsel with others before you receive a prophecy, pray desperately before your conversation that I will establish your thoughts. Your yieldedness and desperation for My will should begin even before you sit down to hear from Me in prophecy; that should be your state of mind even as you muse on your question or discuss it with others. If that is the case, I will be able to establish your thoughts and help you bring your desires and emotions under the authority and rule of My Spirit.
ØPray that I will override any wrong information you might have regarding what you're praying about, and then give whatever you receive, even if it's contrary to what you would expect.
ØWhen you feel you've come to the end of the message, ask Me if there is anything else—if I am done speaking, or your spirit helper has more to say.
ØBe willing to come back to Me for further information and confirmations. Realize that I don't often reveal My full plan and all the details in the first prophecy.
ØBe open to counsel and seek confirmation and clarifications from other channels when you feel at all in doubt of the meaning, accuracy, or completeness of your prophecy.
ØBuild your faith by regularly spending time with Me in the bed of love—reading and meditating on My Word and applying it to your life, resting in Me and casting your cares on Me, and loving Me intimately as My bride, speaking words of love to Me and receiving My seeds‚ which are manifested later in the form of prophecy.
66. I want to reiterate, My darlings, that it's possible to receive prophecies that are not influenced by your own spirit or mind, if you seek Me desperately in yieldedness and do your best to fulfill the requirements I have put forth. It will normally be the case that the prophecies received will not be influenced to such a degree that they will cause serious problems. You must have faith that I am able to do this‚ and not let the Enemy lie to you and try to discourage you about your channel. I urge you to claim My promises and believe that what I have promised I am able also to perform, and if you ask Me for good, pure counsel that's free from your own influence, then I'll give you what you request, according to your faith, yieldedness, and obedience. (End of message from Jesus.)
67. (Summary of answer:) The Lord makes His requirements to avoid receiving influenced prophecies very clear: Love the Lord; be humble; confess your sins; be praiseful; pray desperately for Him to override your opinions or emotions; create a vacuum; wait, have faith, and give what you receive without question; make a decision to yield; stay strong in the spirit and minimize unedifying and ungodly influences; be obedient to the Word; follow closely and live the New Wine; love Him intimately as His bride, spending regular time in the bed of love; try to avoid distractions when prophesying; if you discuss the matter before you hear from the Lord‚ pray desperately that He'll establish your thoughts; go back to the Lord when you need clarifications; be open to others' counsel regarding your prophecies.
68. Do the best you can to fulfill the points listed above, and then trust the Lord! If you have questions about a prophecy‚ keep asking the Lord!
69. (More from Mama: ) I realize that there are a lot of requirements to receive prophecies that are not influenced at all‚ messages that are complete and with the right presentation. It's difficult to think of fulfilling all of those requirements all the time. They basically define the aspects of the ideal lifestyle of a full-time disciple! If you feel you're falling down in some of them or that you haven't been as faithful as you'd like, or if you're battling with something that you want to hear from the Lord about but you feel unyielded, please review the counsel the Lord gave in Part 1 of this series (ML #3275:140-173, GN 875-876.) The Lord is merciful and He wants to continue to be a guiding light in your life, no matter what you're going through, so please don't stop asking Him!
70. Though the requirements for receiving pure prophecies seem to be a very tall order to meet, what you must remember is that the Lord loves you; He wants to help you; He wants to do whatever He can to reveal His will to you, give you personal advice, and keep you in a place of service where you'll be happy, safe, and fruitful. So do the best you can.
71. Remember that even if you feel you've been a little distant, don't stop asking the Lord to speak to you in prophecy. Even if you've drifted from His Word and gotten a little tripped off along the way, confess your faults and get back to Him, and put yourself in a good position to hear from Him by obeying what's listed above. Do what you can—the Lord expects that and it makes Him happy—but also don't ever forget that He always wants to talk with you and He'll grab every opportunity you give Him and use it to try to get as much of His message across as you'll let Him.
72. (Later in this GN I'll talk about how the level of unyieldedness in your life, whether momentary and isolated to a particular battle, or prolonged and general, has an effect on your ability to hear clearly from the Lord and receive non-influenced prophecies.)
n Additional reading:
73. (Jesus speaking:) Although I say your fruits can be judged, I also wish to make clear that because you're full of Me and My Spirit, there is no need to be suspicious of your every prophecy. It's better to walk in faith, walk in My Spirit, and know that unless there's a situation that arises in which it's quite clear that something is off‚ for the most part you have no need to question or worry. Simply receive. Don't let fear of your own thoughts or emotions influencing the prophecy stop you from calling and calling and calling again. For My purpose in giving you this gift is that you would call unto Me, talk to Me, listen to Me, hear from Me, spend time with Me.
74. Even if you get something that's off, ask Me to cleanse you. Get desperate before Me and ask for more of an infilling of My Spirit‚ so you might continue to hear My Words, My love for you, My counsel and wisdom. For without this precious gift, it will be much harder for you to find your way.
75. Many of you have been filled with My Spirit for a long time. You've known Me and My Words and My ways, so it's very easy for Me to speak to you. You're accustomed to listening to Me and heeding Me. You've grown much in spirit. You young people who have been reared in the Family have a heritage of spiritual things, so you're finely attuned to My Spirit. And you who were not born into the Family, but who joined after some years in the System, after having known a dry and desolate life out in the world, come with hungry, open and receptive hearts, thirsting to be filled. Those who come to Me empty I love to fill. I am not limited; My Spirit loves a vacuum. Therefore, I can speak to many of you very‚ very easily‚ and you need not worry. (End of message from Jesus.)
Tainted prophecies
76. (Question:) Is it possible for your emotions or opinions to affect a prophecy to the point that it's dangerous or really wrong?
77. (Jesus speaking:) Prophecies can be strongly influenced by the channel‚ to the point that it can be dangerous either to that person, others, or the work. Such prophecies are tainted prophecies. One way a prophecy can be tainted is if the emotions of the channel affect the prophecy to such a degree that even though the message is accurate, it's in the wrong spirit—an extremely harsh spirit, for example.
78. A prophecy can be either slightly influenced with just a little bit of the emotions or the opinions of the channel affecting the presentation‚ or it can be strongly tainted in the presentation. If it's strongly tainted‚ you'll see that it doesn't carry My Spirit. Perhaps it's a prophecy given in anger‚ or where the feeling of spite or even hatred or jealousy that the channel is battling comes through in the prophecy. This is a seriously tainted prophecy—one that may have My message within, yet it is so encased in the wrong spirit that it's seriously tainted.
79. When you feel that a prophecy has the wrong spirit, even though what it says appears to be My message, then you should not pass such a prophecy on to the person for whom it was given, but you should ask Me again, or have someone else seek Me, to arrive at a correct presentation. I do not speak in anger, with scathing or hurtful words. Even if I give a rebuke, I do so in love, in consideration of the person's feelings, and I pick up the pieces afterwards. I apply the soothing balm, and I don't leave the person hopeless or desolate. (End of message from Jesus)
80. (Summary of answer: ) A prophecy can be tainted, even if the message is accurate, if it is in the wrong spirit—an extremely harsh spirit, for example. This is different from an influenced prophecy; it's a serious problem because it can hurt others.
81. (More from Mama:) You who are Home teamworkers, VSs, CROs, parents, or in any other positions of responsibility where you are required to hear from the Lord regarding others' problems, must be very much in the fear of the Lord. That is a grave responsibility! If you're guilty of receiving tainted prophecies because the presentation of the Lord's message was seriously influenced by your own negative emotions, then you need to desperately seek the Lord and ask Him to forgive you! To receive the Lord's Words but do so in the wrong spirit is very hurtful and dangerous! The Lord said:
82. If someone allows their own spirit to affect the presentation of a prophecy to the point that it's hurtful to others, it's a serious problem. This can be damaging, as it doesn't reflect My Spirit of Love. It's one thing to get facts a little wrong or miss details, as that's not a misrepresentation of My Spirit. But when My nature is misrepresented and it causes one of My brides to feel condemned, then that's very upsetting to Me, as I never want My brides to doubt My love or to feel hopeless. So a prophecy given in anger is much more damaging than an influenced prophecy, and is seriously tainted. (End of message from Jesus.)
83. (Mama:) If a prophecy is harsh and unmerciful, being affected by anger, spite, jealousy or hatred, it upsets the Lord. If there's anything the Lord wants to communicate to us, it's His love! No matter how difficult our battles‚ or how long–standing our problems, or how serious our mistakes, the Lord never, ever wants us to lose sight of the fact that He loves us!
84. Therefore, if a prophecy makes someone feel unloved‚ hopeless, cut off from the Lord, or like He's given up on them, it's a terrible misrepresentation of His love. It's important to pray further about such a prophecy‚ as it could be a tainted prophecy. I say "could be" because you can't always judge by a person's reaction. Sometimes people are extremely sensitive and proud and react badly to a perfectly legitimate prophecy that is in the Lord's spirit. But if you get a check that a prophecy is too harsh, or if a person is devastated by a prophecy of correction or instruction, then it should be prayed about further.
85. I received a letter from someone on the field who was extremely discouraged. She said she felt hopeless and confused after someone in her Home had received a prophecy for her in response to a prayer request. She wrote me, saying‚ "Please, I know the Lord loves you. Will you pray for me and ask for mercy‚ as I'm such a horrible person, as you can see by this. I don't know what to do and where to start. To be honest, I feel like dying and forgetting about everything."
86. When I heard the prophecy that she was given, I couldn't help but weep for her. I felt strongly that the message was probably accurate, in that she probably did have the NWOs that were put forth in the prophecy, but the presentation was so harsh and unmerciful that I suspected that the spirit of the person receiving the message had greatly influenced the presentation of the message to the point that it was a tainted prophecy, one that should not have been passed on to the person concerned. When I had someone pray about my concerns regarding this dear one's letter, the Lord confirmed that the prophecy had indeed been terribly influenced by the channel's negative emotions about the person to the point that it was tainted.
87. Let this be a lesson to you, that when you're called upon to receive a message of instruction or correction for someone, you must desperately pray to have the Lord override your own feelings about that person. If you're asking the Lord's counsel for or about someone who you're frustrated with, or jealous of, or if you're very worked up about their continual problems or some mistake they made‚ then you'd better calm down and get ahold of the Lord and seek Him desperately‚ asking Him to override those emotions so you can receive not only an accurate message, but one that's given in the right spirit and with the right intensity of emotion! This is extremely important and can make a very big difference in the effectiveness of the message. Don't you be guilty of misrepresenting the Lord's love and mercy to one of His precious brides!
88. That's not to say that the Lord will never give a strong message of correction. Sometimes He does, and sometimes such strong messages are as He would want them presented. Peter and I have had to pass on the Lord's Words to some of the CROs or our co-workers, and some have included quite strong correction. But the presence of strong, direct, even blunt correction in a prophecy is not always an indication that the channel's own spirit or emotions influenced the presentation of the message. When I asked the Lord more about this, He said:
89. I am usually gentle with My children, approaching them very delicately about their problems and couching any correction in lots and lots of encouragement. I try to get them to see the light without feeling the bolt. But in some cases, where a person is accountable for much truth and training, when they've seen good samples and they've received much, yet they continue in their waywardness, then I must use stronger wording and a more forceful approach, lest I risk their not grasping the seriousness of the situation. That's why you‚ My queen, have witnessed such strong messages of correction given for some of these leaders. They needed it, and I knew they could take it. That was a form of love.
90. But in each case, your faucet or your channels prayed very desperately to be rid of their own emotions and feelings. That forcefulness was not a result of any of their own agendas‚ resentments, jealousies, hurt feelings, bitternesses, etc. They were void of personal feelings and only wanted My Words. So I gave My Words, purely and exactly as I would have them.
91. This is evidence that I can give strong, forceful messages that are worded even shockingly when I know it's needed. But that will usually be for people who are very accountable, who are spiritually strong, and who need the message presented in that way, when earlier gentler messages have not done the trick and have not caused them to change. (End of message from Jesus.)
92. (Mama:) The Lord will often speak very directly and strongly when talking to a shepherd or parent about the problems of one of their flock or children. This is needful in order to help that shepherd or parent understand the problem clearly and see the seriousness of it. This motivates them to do something about it; to give needed counsel, direction, and especially to pray for the needy person.
93. But if that shepherd or parent were to ask the Lord for a message of instruction to be given directly to that needy person rather than a message about that person, the presentation of the message and delivery would very likely be quite different. The Lord would probably be much more delicate in His presentation, including much more praise for past accomplishments and progress, with a delicate and gentle pointing out of where the person has fallen short. Then the Lord would likely close the message with promises and lots of encouragement.
94. A person should feel hopeful, as much as possible, after reading the Lord's Words‚ even if they are correction or instruction. Therefore‚ it is very important that you are prayerful about passing on what you get in prophecy to someone else, and know the difference between what is a message of instruction for shepherds or parents and what is meant to be handed directly to the person you're hearing from the Lord for or about.
95. The main point to grasp from this is to pray desperately when you come before the Lord to receive His Words. He can override your personal feelings and emotions and give you a prophecy free of any serious influence from your own spirit‚ but you must seek Him and ask Him to do so! Ask that His love will be the greatest motivating factor in your heart.
96. You should not take it upon yourself to think that the Lord has made a mistake if a message for someone comes out very gently and delicately‚ when you know all about the person's problem and how bad it is, and you were expecting the Lord to say something much sterner and more to the point. If you've really prayed and asked the Lord to override your feelings, and He gives something that is contrary to what you feel, then you should be very thankful and not question it.
97. There have been cases where I've almost been a little bothered because the Lord was so sweet to somebody that I felt really needed something a lot heavier, someone who maybe we knew the Lord had been patient with for a long, long time and had kept talking to‚ and they still weren't responding. But the Lord continued His patience and it paid off, so the Lord knew what was best. But logically‚ naturally, it certainly seemed that He should have given them some kind of heavier message.
98. So we really do have to pray, and if the Lord gives something that we, in our logical understanding, don't think is right, we should accept it by faith. Of course, we can ask for a confirmation. We can ask the Lord again, "Are You sure You didn't want to say anything more direct?" Or in the case of it being pretty strong or stern, you should be sure to ask the Lord if He really wanted it to be so direct.
99. Remember, prophecies of correction can be very sensitive. Because of this, it's always a good idea to put some safeguards in place before passing them on to those for whom they are intended. If a channel does not feel they are able to put their strong feelings or emotions aside in order to receive a message of instruction or correction for someone that is not tainted, it's better they ask someone else to do so if possible. Another way to be sure that the prophecy you have received for someone else is given in the right spirit is to have someone who is spiritually strong check it and pray about it. Most prophecies of this type will be received by Home teamworkers or spiritually strong people who are responsible to counsel and shepherd others. But nonetheless, you should still counsel with others—either your teamworkers, shepherds, or others who are strong in spirit—about the prophecies you give to others, to make sure they're right on and in the right spirit. It never hurts, and is in fact recommended, to get a prophecy of confirmation that all is as it should be before passing a prophecy on. Having someone look over the prophecy first and pray about it can help avoid a scenario such as what happened to this dear girl I mentioned above.
Can System input
clog your channel?
100. (Question: ) What effect‚ if any, does it have on a person's channel if they're not minimizing unedifying and ungodly influences in their life, or they just started to seriously minimize, but before that had perverted appetites for the things of the world? Does contact with System music, bad computer games, reading System books, watching violent, senseless or time–wasting movies; surfing the Internet (including not just really bad stuff, but unnecessary general browsing) affect a person's ability to be a clear channel?
101. (Jesus speaking: ) Everything that you take into your mind and spirit affects you. There is no one who is not affected negatively in some way when they partake of System influence via movies, music, novels, worldly attitudes put forth in newspapers, magazines‚ or the Internet. All of that propaganda of the Enemy goes into your being and becomes part of you.
102. If you have a strong foundation of faith, you're less affected‚ and the propaganda doesn't gain a firm hold in your heart and mind, as long as you take the time to wash yourself regularly with the Word and My Spirit. But if you're weak in faith and you have bad Word and prayer habits, then the propaganda from the System has more effect. And it's a cumulative effect, growing more and more harmful with time. The more you take it in and the longer you allow it to remain in your heart and mind, the stronger the influence, especially if you don't wash it away with the Word. Don't just take things in and let them remain in your mind, but check out your input with Me. Ask Me about the information you are exposed to and hear from Me in prophecy about what My perspective is on the matter. I'll tell you what is true and what is false and what you should reject. Getting My viewpoint and My mind on the matter will help keep you cleansed of false information and wrong attitudes.
103. Those who have taken in much System influence over time subconsciously develop perverted reactions and thought patterns. That System influence can be in the form of such things as excessive movie watching, or the watching of bad movies‚ or listening to evil music‚ or playing violent computer games, or receiving the vain philosophies of man. Because of the System influence and their entertaining the wrong attitudes or ways of looking at things, even without their realizing it, they develop a mentality that is ungodly. That ungodly mentality wars against the spirit. It's in sharp contrast to the ways of My Kingdom, but the unsuspecting victim often doesn't realize that their first reactions and many of the conclusions they draw are not Word-based.
104. Because of this, the person is at a disadvantage when it comes to hearing from Me, because they're not in a position where they can easily discern the spirits and judge what voice is of Me and what is not. Their senses have become dulled because they've heard the voices of the Enemy's world for so long, so they don't recognize that it's wrong‚ and that those voices and attitudes and reactions have become a part of them.
105. When a person is in this state spiritually, their prophecies will likely be less pure. Therefore, until such a person gets cleaned up spiritually by taking in massive doses of My Word, having united prayer‚ and having his thought processes brought in line with My way of seeing things, then he will need to be very careful with his prophecies—careful to seek confirmations and counsel from those who are spiritually stronger.
106. As a person who has been contaminated by the world for a period of time seeks the cleansing power of My Word, prayer, and the spirit‚ they will become a more reliable channel, a clearer one. But it stands to reason that someone who has taken in from the System without limit‚ who has drunk deeply of the evil wells of the wisdom of man and his perversions, and who has built up a large "database" of stored System values and attitudes in their mind, will have to flush that out and be cleansed and strengthened in spirit.
107. I'm still able to speak to those who are contaminated by a long-term deep feeding of the System, but they must realize their handicap and be very desperate. They must also be aware that there could be some impurities from the Enemy and from their perverted mindsets that can slip into the prophecies because of their weak spiritual state. This can happen because they're not finely attuned to My voice and ways, so when they hear the voice of the Enemy, they don't recognize that it goes contrary to My Word and Spirit, and therefore they're not able to raise a standard against the Enemy's voice on the spot.
108. This is another type of serious tainting of My messages that comes about as a result of the channel being dirtied through System influence‚ especially System influence that has been taken in over a long period of time. This type of tainted prophecy is often characterized by compromise and a general permissiveness that pushes the boundaries and guidelines of the Word and the Charter to the limit.
109. If someone wants to be a reliable channel, one who receives complete prophecies that are the result of great faith and yieldedness, then that person must seek to cleanse their mind and spirit of the ways of the world. If the influence of the world has been great, it will take more time and a conscientious effort to reprogram the channel's mind so that their first reactions and mindset are in line with My Word and the truth‚ rather than the perversions of the world, and so that they can recognize My voice and discern when the Enemy's voice tries to butt in. If someone has been contaminated by much input from the world, he should take more time in the Word and prayer, and even have a prayer of deliverance.
110. Even if people have good habits in the Word, if they have regular contact with the world through movies, the Internet, novels, etc., they must raise a standard against the influence of that contact through prayer and a plea to Me that I will wash them clean as they drink deeply of the things of the spirit. (End of message from Jesus.)
111. (Summary of answer:) Any ungodly input from the System will have a negative effect on you; the question is how much of a negative effect and how lasting it will be. If you're strong spiritually and you have good habits in the Word and prayer, and you're desperate to be right with the Lord‚ you can regularly cleanse your spirit of the perversions of the world and the ways of man‚ in which case those ungodly attitudes and mindsets won't gain a foothold in your life.
112. But if you regularly take in System influence, especially if you've done so for a long time, and you don't go on the attack to be cleansed, then it will cause you problems. That System influence will have a greater effect on you and it will be cumulative, meaning it all adds up. Eventually, many of your reactions, attitudes and mindsets will likely not be Word-based. The longer you entertain these wrong reactions, attitudes, and mindsets, the more they become a part of you, especially if you keep reinforcing them with more System input and you don't make an effort to be cleansed with the Word and prayer. You might not even realize this is happening to you.
113. If that is the case, then your prophecies can be tainted, because you aren't able to recognize when the Enemy's voice tries to come in. You won't immediately sense that there's something wrong when he tries to slip in his words‚ because you're accustomed to listening to the Enemy's propaganda. If you aren't sensitive enough in the spirit to immediately raise a standard against the wrong voices‚ then your messages can be contaminated with aspects that are not of the Lord. This type of tainted prophecy often compromises the truth and is overly permissive regarding the guidelines or boundaries that are established in the Word and Charter.
114. If you've had a lot of System input in your life, you'd be wise to admit it and fight to be cleansed of it. You have to realize that this is a handicap, which should make you very desperate. If you're serious about wanting to be a clear channel, you should ask for prayer for deliverance, as well as draw up a good Word study plan and stick to it—and cut way back on System influences! As you're getting cleaned up spiritually, you should be sure to check your prophecies with your shepherds, or someone who is strong spiritually, and get confirmations whenever there is any question whatsoever. You should be very open to shepherding and counsel regarding your prophecies so you can get any additional information or clarifications that are needed and thereby stay right in the center of God's will.
115. (More from Mama: ) I can see how the above information and warning from the Lord could make you feel quite insecure about your channels, because all of you have suffered a certain degree of contamination from the System. Some System influence is unavoidable, as you must go out in the System when witnessing and doing business, and many have necessary Internet research to do, etc. Plus nearly everyone watches a movie or two each week‚ and possibly takes in other TV, magazine, or novel input to varying degrees. Then there are those of you who are still fighting to overcome your serious bad habits and addictions of pre-Shakeup days.
116. A natural reaction when you feel wobbly about your channel, especially after hearing a message like this, is to quit prophesying. That's a logical conclusion‚ which might seem much safer to you. You want to save yourself the trouble of any possible impurities in your prophecies as a result of System input‚ so you figure you'll just stop asking the Lord about anything. But that is not the right reaction. You might think you're saving yourself a lot of hassle, but you'll be losing a lot more in the long run because you'll be forgoing the opportunity to get the Lord's counsel for you personally on a regular basis.
117. You might decide to stop hearing from the Lord because you're afraid of mistakes or getting it wrong. Or maybe you're just lazy and don't want to put forth the effort needed to cleanse and maintain your channel. Maybe you're embarrassed or confused. I can understand all that. But another more hidden reason is that the Enemy is fighting you and trying to seal up your channel.
118. The choice is yours. No one can make you hear from the Lord, just as no one can make you cleanse your heart and mind from all the junky attitudes that you've got stored up from months or even years of System input. That's something that only you can do, with the Lord's help.
119. It might look like quite a sacrifice, a real costly venture, to have to minimize ungodly influences, especially when they involve your favorite pastimes. You might be quite dependent on your regular "fixes" of violent movies, since you think all other movies are boring; or surfing the Net to stay abreast of the latest opinions on whatever you're interested in; or peeking in on perverted sex sites, just to "see what's out there." There are plenty of ways that people in the Family are addicted to System input and have a hard time minimizing. To overcome those addictions is tough!
120. But just remember that while you might feel like you're losing an awful lot by kicking the habit, you have much more to gain. Having a clear, dependable channel will do you a lot more good not just in the future, but today, than those other pleasures and entertainments. It's a sacrifice, I know, but the Lord can give you really cool stuff in place of the earthly things you're presently enjoying. I'm talking about the secrets and mysteries and wonders of the spirit world—all kinds of far-out truths.
121. Once you decide you want to clean up your act, get rid of System mindsets and attitudes that aren't of the Lord, and protect your channel so you can get reliable messages, half the battle is won. Then the Lord can work with you, and He will bless your prophesying as you seriously and sincerely seek Him, and He will reward you for the initial battles you're willing to endure when you minimize or give up altogether the things that weaken you spiritually.
122. The whole point of giving you this message is not so you'll get scared and stop hearing from the Lord. You should know me well enough by now to know that's not the point! That's the exact opposite of what you should do. You need these cautions, and the Lord is trusting you with some deep truth; but the reason is so you'll see the dangers of the System input and do what you need to do to correct the problem. That means minimizing it, having united prayer of deliverance, getting into serious Word study, continuing to use your channel, asking the Lord questions about the input you receive and getting His viewpoint on the matter, and counseling with other strong people about the messages you receive, when necessary.
123. You might think, "United prayer of deliverance? No way! That's too embarrassing! I'll just stop prophesying." If that's your conclusion, you'll miss out. United prayer is a key to making fast progress. If you feel the need for united prayer, don't let anyone stop you or belittle your efforts. Do what you have to do! Be your own person! Follow the Lord as you feel led, without letting the opinions of your friends intimidate you! "What is that to thee? Follow thou Me!" Even if you're the only one doing it, who cares?! Be an individual!
124. If you're worried about the System influence that has already accumulated in your life, here is some insight from the Lord that should give you the resolve you need to not give up.
125. (Jesus speaking: ) Those of you who have clogged your channel or muddied the waters through prolonged System input can be even more desperate with Me through a realization of the dangers of such influence from the world. The knowledge that you need to tune in even more carefully and desperately, that you need to seek Me seriously and specifically for My protection, that you need to wash yourself with the truth‚ can be the best thing that ever happened to you.
126. A desire to hold on to your gift of prophecy, and not just to hold on to it but to hone it, cleanse it, purify it, and protect it, can be the impetus needed to cause you to resist the Enemy and his lies and filth and compromises in your life. If you will open your eyes and see as I do, you'll realize that as you let the trinkets and baubles of the System fall from your hands, I will put at your feet a massive, awesome treasure chest that you can dip into as you wish. You'll be giving up trash‚ garbage‚ fake junky stuff, and be receiving costly, expensive, priceless gifts in their place. Who wouldn't want to make such a trade?
127. The Enemy of your soul would try to entice you away from the treasure chest by luring you to other supposed riches. He's calling, tempting, offering with such enthusiasm and great packaging. But it's all a hoax. His promises are lies and his marketing is false. He's a shark, a mobster, and a racketeer. Whatever he offers looks good and seems like a great deal, but as soon as you're "in," then you realize you got ripped off!
128. So don't fall for his false advertising. Don't be a dope, getting sucked in by a con man! Chuck all that and take the real stuff‚ the treasures! As soon as you see their value, you'll be willing to do whatever you have to do to make sure you hold on to them. No one in his right mind leaves treasures unattended without protection and insurance. No! People pay out big bucks to make sure no one tampers with or steals or even scratches their valuables. How much more should you take care of something as precious as your direct link to Me!
129. When you look at it like that, what's the big deal if you have to lay off some of the movies you'd like to see, or cut down on reading man's stuff‚ and stay off the information highway? Is all of that really that important to you? Those are things millions and millions of people have access to. But your knowledge of how to hear from Me, your personal gift of prophecy, is something rare! So few people know what you know and have what you have!
130. So it's up to you to protect it like people do with their prized art collections, and keep it cleaned and polished like they would their new Mercedes. Worldly people who are sharp, educated and conscientious know the value of worldly things. Do you who are aware and educated in spiritual matters know the value of spiritual things?
131. If you're willing to admit that your gift of prophecy is worth keeping and protecting, then fight for it! Do what you've got to do! Get rid of all the grime and dirt of the System, clean up your life, be desperate, and ask for prayer! Who cares if it's embarrassing? It's worth it!
132. The good news is that it doesn't take as long to get cleansed as it did to get polluted. You could have taken in loads of man's wisdom and perversions for months and months, or even years, but when you cry out to Me with sincerity—because you want to be free, not because you're doing something that you think you have to—then My Spirit rushes through you and performs a spring cleaning of sorts. You get a special anointing and protection for your prophesying that is available to you as long as you stay very desperate and are open to counsel. It is a gift of My grace. I give you a special anointing and protection. You can rest assured that you will not be led astray by the messages you receive when you prophesy; I will keep you fruitful and in My will. (End of message from Jesus)
133. (Mama: ) What you do with this counsel and how much you want to progress with your gift of prophecy is up to you. No one is going to make you do anything. You decide what's important to you. If you value your channel and you want to hold onto it and even get better at hearing from the Lord, then the promises in this message you just read are for you, and you don't need to worry! Just do what the Lord said, and then keep going, keep asking, keep listening!
134. Here is another promise that you can claim:
135. (Jesus speaking:) As for false spirits entering in, simply claim My promises—that you are Mine‚ and the Evil One has no power over you. Then do not fear‚ but proceed in faith. If you sense a presence which you are not sure about, or if you are not sure if what you are receiving is from Me, pray again, claiming My Spirit and My presence, and making it clear that you don't want anything which is not of Me. The rest is up to Me. You have My protection, and I'm here to give it to you. Simply claim it, and do not fear, and proceed to hear from Me. (End of message from Jesus)
136. (Mama: ) Don't let the fear of getting tainted prophecies stop you from hearing from the Lord. Claim His promises and keep going. If you have any questions about a message you receive or an experience you have when you're trying to hear from the Lord, ask for counsel from someone spiritually strong. Stay in touch with your shepherds, parents, or some other spiritually strong person regarding your prophecies. And remember to keep going back to the Lord for His help and answers.
Pride opens the door to
receiving tainted prophecies
137. (Question:) Are there any other causes of tainted prophecies besides when your emotions affect the prophecy to the point that it's given in a wrong spirit, and your exposure to System influences, especially over a long period of time?
138. (Jesus speaking:) Pride is the main cause of tainted prophecies—pride manifested in many ways. Pride is the enemy of those who seek to hone their gift of prophecy. Humility is the key; pride is the main hinderer.
139. There are various causes of tainted prophecies, but most are primarily from not controlling your emotions or opinions, which amounts to being confident in your own mind, and not dependent on Me or humble before Me. The underlying cause of this is pride. When someone refuses to bring their emotions or opinions under My control by desperately asking Me to override them, it's a sign of pride. They're proud of their own thoughts, their own wisdom, their way of figuring things out. They want to hang on to that confidence in themselves, and it causes them not to be as open in the spirit as they need to be—and certainly not as desperate as they should be.
140. Pride restricts the flow of the Spirit and the flow of truth. The greater the pride, the greater the restriction. When a person is very proud‚ not only in their attitude when prophesying, but in their everyday life‚ that pride serves as a barrier and makes it harder for the pure Word of My mouth to pass through the veil. That pride is a stoppage, a blockage. If the channel doesn't actively fight to humble himself and get desperate with Me and acknowledge his utter dependence on Me, then pride can cause the message to be tainted‚ seriously influenced to the point that it's not reliable. Such a message may not be as damaging as an outright false prophecy, but it's damaging nonetheless, because it can cause people to be stumbled‚ delayed, sidetracked, confused or disenchanted with prophecy.
141. Also, there are varying degrees of unyieldedness. When someone is fighting in the spirit to overcome their weaknesses, even though they know they're not completely yielded in some particular area of their life, I give special grace and power to protect their channel. But when a person is unyielded, not just in one area that is particularly difficult for them at that time but generally unyielded to My will and the New Wine, then they open their lives up to attacks of the Enemy in the form of tainted prophecies. General unyieldedness to the flow of My Spirit is akin to pride; it's the fruit of pride, and if the unyieldedness goes to the extreme, then the pride can be extreme as well.
142. An inordinate desire for System influence is also a form of pride. It's saying, "I can take it, I won't be affected." It's saying My Word and ways are not enough‚ that I'm not good enough, not smart enough, not intriguing enough. Those who let their spirits become sick and contaminated through System influence are often very proud as well.
143. To harbor such pride is dangerous and can affect your channel and result in tainted prophecies. Such prophecies will not be as damaging and blatantly contrary as false prophecies‚ but they will often be so one-sided or incomplete or tainted in the presentation as to be confusing and misleading. They will not go absolutely contrary to the Word, but they will not be clearly 100% supportive either. Such prophecies are dangerous because they can cause people to become confused and their personal convictions to wane. They cause the truth of the printed Word to be watered down and become less effective. They blur the boundaries of right and wrong and distract My children. These prophecies are not "innocent" and fairly harmless like influenced prophecies; they're destructive, confusing and misleading.
144. You can recognize such tainted prophecies because they're in the wrong spirit—a harsh, demanding, condemning spirit; or they're subtly contradictory of the printed Word or the Charter. They don't necessarily oppose the Word directly and blatantly, but they're not obviously supportive either. (End of message from Jesus.)
145. (Summary of answer: ) Being very proud‚ not only when prophesying, but also in your day-to-day life and walk with the Lord, can open the door for you to receive tainted prophecies. Pride acts as a blockage in the spirit. Such pride is why people allow their emotions or opinions to influence a prophecy to the point that it's given in the wrong spirit, because they highly esteem their own thoughts and position, and that attitude comes through when they prophesy. Pride is also the root of general unyieldedness to the flow of the Spirit. Pride is also one reason why people allow their spirits and minds to become contaminated from excessive intake of ungodly and unedifying System influences.
146. All of these manifestations of pride can affect your channel and spirit to the point that it results in tainted prophecies, which are not reliable. A tainted prophecy is not as dangerous as a false prophecy, but it's still destructive, because it can cause others to be stumbled, delayed, sidetracked, confused or disillusioned with the use of prophecy.
147. Prophecy should be clearly supportive of the Word. If a prophecy causes people to be confused, or it causes their convictions to wane, or it results in confusion about what is right and wrong, or it waters down the message of the printed Word, then that prophecy should be prayed about further as to whether it's a tainted prophecy. The same is true of a prophecy that is in an extremely harsh, demanding, condemning spirit.
148. (More from Mama:) If, after prayer and counsel and getting a confirmation from the Lord, you shepherds are sure that someone is receiving or has received tainted prophecies, then you'll need to recognize the cause, which is probably extreme pride‚ and help them to overcome that pride through prayer, the Word, and counsel. Such pride is likely to be manifested in general unyieldedness, being very strong in the arm of the flesh‚ and not minimizing ungodly and unedifying influences.
149. For those of you who may have a serious problem with pride, if you're being desperate with the Lord and are coming to Him to help you overcome it, you shouldn't fear or worry. If you desperately want to be humble and want the Lord to deliver you from your pride, He will do so, and He will help you and give you pure prophecies. So even though your besetting sin may be pride, this doesn't mean you should just give up prophesying for fear you'll get tainted prophecies. The point is not to stop prophesying; the point is to get the victory over these things, or be getting continual victories over these things, since, of course, nobody's going to be able to get the victory over their pride immediately‚ instantaneously. It's an ongoing process.
150. It's important to see how serious it is to have extreme pride, and how that kind of pride can definitely affect your channel. Hopefully, realizing this will motivate you to be desperate with the Lord and to get the victories you need. But at the same time, the Enemy could easily condemn you to the point that you'd just say‚ "Oh well, I've got this bad problem and it's going to take a long time before I can get over it, so I'm not going to be able to hear from the Lord clearly in the meantime. Maybe I haven't been hearing clearly from the Lord because of that, and I haven't realized the effect that my pride was perhaps having on my prophecies, and so now I'd better not prophesy at all, or at least for anybody else or on any important subjects, because I have such a big problem with my pride and I must not be able to get good prophecies."
151. If you have a problem with pride, just be desperate with the Lord to work on it, and don't let it affect your getting things from the Lord. Be desperate to be yielded, humble and obedient, and then the Lord will give you the right things.
152. This is one of the reasons why the Lord has put such an emphasis on humility in many of the GNs that have been published over the last years. He's been trying to help us all. And if you've been taking the counsel to heart and have been working on your weak areas and on your pride, then the Lord's going to help you and you don't have to fear. You just need to be yielded and desperately ask the Lord to help you to be humble.
153. (Shepherds‚ please be very prayerful when judging a person's prophecies and the effect any pride in their life might be having on them. Everyone has pride to one degree or another, and for most people it is a pretty continual battle to keep their pride in subjection. I'm talking about extreme pride here, the kind of pride that causes the person to be consistently resistant to shepherding and unyielded to the changes the Lord is trying to make in their lives. Please do NOT jump to conclusions and risk wrongly accusing people of receiving tainted prophecies simply because you know they have problems with pride. You cannot just assume such things. You need to be very prayerful and get confirmations from the Lord in prophecy before drawing such conclusions and approaching the person about the problem.)
What effect does
unyieldedness have?
154. (Question: ) Does unyieldedness have a different effect on your channel, depending on whether the unyieldedness is isolated to a particular battle and something you're working to overcome, or it's prolonged and widespread?
155. (Jesus speaking:) A large percentage of My children have something that they're battling with at all times, some kind of test of yieldedness, something that costs them and tries their faith. This narrow battle with unyieldedness, in which they're fighting and striving to overcome, will not affect their channel negatively as long as they cry out to Me to override that unyieldedness, and they try with whatever strength they have to be yielded and to accept My will. That is one type of unyieldedness, which is fairly common and relatively safe‚ because the people who battle in that way are usually still strong in their fear of Me‚ and they usually come to Me with desperation. They recognize that they are struggling to yield, and at times that makes them even more desperate and causes them to pray even more fervently.
156. There is another kind of unyieldedness, which is more dangerous and which will affect a person's channel more. That is prolonged, unchecked unyieldedness, which is allowed to go on and on in a person's life, and they either refuse to see it or don't get militant to try to progress in yieldedness, even a little. When someone is stubborn, rebellious‚ and holds on to their unyieldedness‚ then it grows. When the unyieldedness becomes widespread, affecting many areas of someone's life, especially regarding any of the Family's fundamental beliefs and practices, then it is more dangerous.
157. When unyieldedness is allowed to flourish in a person's life, especially after they have been made aware of the problem and understand it and have been warned or corrected‚ then their channel in general can be clouded and can result in influenced prophecies, or in tainted prophecies if the unyieldedness is extreme.
158. There is a difference between a specific battle with unyieldedness where the person is on the attack, and general or prolonged‚ unchecked unyieldedness, which the person allows to go on and on without making any effort to overcome. The latter is much more dangerous and can have a seriously negative effect on the person's channel; it can become stubbornness or bitterness, which results in long-term sin in their life. This does not provide the foundation for a clear, reliable channel.
159. My dear brides, there is no need to worry about your channel, even if you are battling, as long as you are fighting and wanting to yield. But if you are not fighting, if you're not even trying and are not serious about making progress in the area in which you're unyielded, and if you allow the sin in your life to continue and even grow‚ then there are grounds for concern! If you're in that state, then you need to get in the fear of Me about your problems, for though you can continue to seek Me and hear from Me in prophecy, and though I will try to speak to you as much as I can‚ there is the chance of influenced prophecies—to varying degrees—because of your unchecked, general or prolonged unyieldedness. A channel's prophecies can eventually become so influenced by their lack of yieldedness that they become tainted. (End of message from Jesus.)
160. (Summary of answer:) Most people fight battles with unyieldedness a lot of the time. Those tests are how the Lord keeps us close to Him. If you're fighting to overcome and progress in whatever area you feel unyielded in, and you come to the Lord with desperation, you can continue to have a peace about your channel. The Lord will have mercy and give you reliable prophecies, because He knows you're working on being yielded, you're crying out to Him and you want to be yielded.
161. If you have unyieldedness that you're not fighting to overcome, especially after you understand the problem and have been counseled, taught and warned about the dangers, or if the unyieldedness is in many areas of your life or has to do with the fundamental beliefs and practices of the Family, then it's more dangerous. That kind of unyieldedness can result in influenced, or in extreme cases, even tainted prophecies. This is especially true if the unyieldedness becomes stubbornness and bitterness.
Can the Enemy's words enter in?
162. (Question:) We've heard of situations in which a person is receiving a true prophecy‚ and then all of a sudden a wrong spirit seems to cut in and give words from the Enemy. It's like his static comes in and fritzes up the communication. Why does that happen? Can it happen to those who are yielded and desperate, those who are tried–and-proven pure channels? Is it because the Lord wants you to try the spirits as you prophesy? Under what conditions can this sort of thing happen? What do you do if it happens?
163. (Jesus speaking:) If you do your best, by My power and grace, to fulfill the requirements for being a clear channel, then the Enemy will not have the power to whisper his words in your ear. This is My promise to you. When you fulfill the requirements and your spirit is right with Me, then you are completely and totally protected by Me, and the Enemy cannot penetrate this bubble of protection. But if you take hearing from Me in prophecy lightly, or you feel you don't have to be quite as desperate as I say you need to be‚ then it's as if there are holes in your force field of protection.
164. I will protect you and I will give you a good, reliable, clear channel, if you obey My instructions and yield your all to Me. But if you don't‚ then I can't protect you as fully‚ and the Enemy may find a way to enter in through a breach in the spirit‚ whereby he could slip in some words of falsehood, words that are not from Me but from him. And that's why it's vital that you don't take lightly your times of hearing from Me, and that you're faithful to claim My promises of protection during your times of receiving My Words.
165. It's not a light thing to come to Me, asking for My Words. You have to realize that the Enemy hates your hearing from Me, and that's why you must be vigilant in prayer and ensure that your spirit is yielded, humble, desperate, and you're acknowledging your need for Me. You must also be very open to counsel and seek the help of others, especially more experienced channels or those who are chosen to guide you spiritually, to judge your prophecies.
166. If you have any questions whatsoever, if you wonder if something you receive in prophecy might be wrong or off, or if you wonder if the Enemy has come in in any way in an unguarded moment, then ask Me, or have someone else ask Me. Don't be embarrassed. Don't let your fear of making a mistake cause you to pull back either from prophesying or from getting the help you need. The quicker you seek help, prayer, and counsel when you suspect you've been attacked by the Enemy in this way, the better. If you raise an immediate standard against the Enemy, rebuking and resisting him, then he has to flee; and you can then come right back to Me and pick up where you left off, hearing from Me and receiving My Words.
167. You don't need to be fearful of the Enemy at any time. Even if you haven't been as desperate as you should have been and the Enemy managed to sneak something in through your weakened spiritual force field, I can help you discern his voice and give you the power to rebuke him. Once you do, he will flee. All you have to do is acknowledge his presence and command him to depart, and he will flee from you. Then afterwards you will be much more desperate and yielded when receiving messages from Me, and this will protect you from further attacks, interruptions, or disturbances.
168. But I must say, and I will say again‚ if you come to Me desperately, yielding your all to Me in humility, with the faith to receive My Words, what you receive will be My Words—pure and fresh and good. It's only when you let your spiritual guard down, or you don't fulfill these requirements‚ that you allow your spiritual force field of protection to weaken, and thus the possibility of the Enemy slipping through and speaking ungodly words. But even when that happens, you can rebuke him and he will flee. You must not give up because of it.
169. The gift of prophecy is a direct link between you, My children, and Me. I desperately depend on our link of communication both so I can speak personal words of encouragement and instruction to you and so that I can lead and guide you to establish My Kingdom on Earth in these Last Days. This is why I desire that our channel be secure and unhindered by the Enemy, but you must do your part.
170. What is your part? Your part is to be desperate with Me, staying close to Me and My Word, remaining humble and full of faith, and being My yielded bride. Then the Enemy will not be able to penetrate our line of communication and our connection will be clear, strong, pure and unhindered. (End of message from Jesus.)
171. (Summary of answer:) The Lord again emphasizes the importance of doing your best to fulfill the requirements for being a good channel. If you do that, you're protected from the Enemy's attacks. But if you get off track in some way, and in an unguarded moment the Enemy is allowed to come in and speak his words, then you must take action against him. If you recognize at the moment that something is wrong‚ stop immediately and rebuke the Enemy; he will then have to flee from you. This obvious attack should stir you up to greater desperation with the Lord. After rebuking the Enemy and asking the Lord to help you to have faith and stay focused and give whatever He gives you, you can go right back to receiving the message that the Enemy was trying to stop or hinder. If you're not sure if something that you received was contaminated by the entrance of the Devil's words, or if you're not sure if you're being attacked by him‚ seek the help of your shepherds right away. Go find someone to pray with, counsel with others, and together you can seek the Lord about your questions.
172. (More from Mama:) If you experience the Enemy's attacks in this way, don't let it stop you from receiving prophecies. It should shake you up and make you more aware of the spiritual warfare; it should give you more fear of the Lord and help you not to take prophesying lightly—but it should not scare you off from receiving prophecies. Keep fighting, and don't let the attacks of the Enemy stop you!
173. Here's a message from the Lord that explains how damaging this type of attack from the Enemy is, and why it's important for you to realize that this can happen.
174. (Jesus speaking:) Some people catch the intrusion of the Enemy at the moment it happens, others don't. When they don't even recognize that the Enemy has slipped in some of his falsehoods, then it's even more confusing, because part of the prophecy will be very clear and understandable and obviously good, but then there will be a portion that will seem strange or dirty or impure. If the Family doesn't realize that a prophecy can be contaminated in this way with snippets of the Enemy's words, then they won't have the faith to question a portion of an otherwise good message. This is a needed safeguard for the shepherds to know.
175. The danger of such prophecies, in which the Enemy comes in with his falsehoods, depends on what is done with the prophecies and the effect they have. If the intrusion of the Enemy is noticed and rebuked, and the channel seeks Me for clarification on the prophecy—in which case I will show exactly which part is pure and which is not—then there is no danger in such attacks of the Enemy.
176. But if the channel or those who safeguard the channel are delinquent‚ dull in spirit, and don't realize that something is wrong‚ then the prophecy could be more damaging and could cause confusion‚ division, or other problems. If the problem is corrected and the potential damage controlled‚ and the channel gets the counsel, help, and prayer needed, and makes whatever changes are needed in their personal life to close the breach in their spirit, then the problem is limited and you needn't worry about it.
177. But if the person is rebellious to counsel, or doesn't receive the truth, or refuses to resist the attacks of the Enemy, then the problem will only grow worse. The channel might have begun by receiving an influenced prophecy, one that was impure because of a lapse of concentration or a momentary attack of the Enemy, but the problem can grow and the channel can become unreliable and even an open door for tainted or false prophecies, if not checked and strengthened in spirit. (End of message from Jesus.)
178. (Mama:) This shows how important it is for you shepherds to keep a spiritual watch over those in your Home who exercise their gift of prophecy. You are responsible to be very prayerful and wisely help to discern and interpret the prophecies you and others receive‚ especially prophecies that affect others or your Home. If you catch such intrusions of the Enemy right away, then you don't have to worry‚ as his power to cause problems will be minimal. But if you're slack, undiscerning, or unwise, and you don't realize there's a problem, or you don't pray about it or follow up on the checks the Lord gives you‚ then the inroad of the Enemy can grow until you have a pretty big problem on your hands! So be watchful, diligent shepherds!
179. But I must remind you again, be loving and compassionate in judging prophecies. Be sure to also study what was previously published on this subject in the series‚ "Prophecy Questions You May Have Always Wanted to Ask!" Ask the Lord for the gift of discernment and interpretation.
Are the channels
in Mama's Home reliable?
180. (Question:) What about the channels in Mama's Home? Do they receive prophecies that are strongly influenced by their own minds or spirits? How do I know I can depend 100% on the prophecies that are published in the GNs?
181. (Jesus speaking:) The channels of the queen are weak men and women just like you are. They have battles, shortcomings, NWOs, and they're far from perfect. Yet because of the responsibility they carry, I have given them a special anointing from on high. I have given those who speak for the queen a special mantle of faith, concentration, impartiality‚ receptivity, clarity and drawing power. This is not for their sake, but for yours‚ that you might be fed from My hand.
182. I have also given the Winetaster to the Family. She drinks of My Word without tiring, and listens carefully for My whispers‚ as I lead her to beseech Me for further clarification and information‚ that the messages given to the children of David may be balanced and easy to understand. She also seeks Me again and again for confirmations of My truths, so that the direction given for the Family is sure and safe, as she has it established in the mouth of various channels.
183. Therefore you can rest assured that as you put your complete confidence in the messages published in GNs, it is well placed, for I promise you, as I have promised the queen and king, that I will not lie to My children. The queen's channels are desperate when they prophesy for the sake of the Kingdom, and therefore I protect the messages that are published from being influenced by their own minds and spirits; I protect the Family from tainted or corrupt communication. That which I give you to drink of in the Words of David is altogether pure and safe; it is My Word, as I desire it to be published.
184. When they are called upon by the queen to receive from Me, they drink from chosen clear cisterns that are specially anointed with protection and a force field against the Enemy's attacks. This is a special dispensation of protection, not because these channels are more deserving in themselves, but because of the great responsibility they carry. Without the assurance of this promise, the weight of the responsibility would be too great for them to bear, for they serve the queen and king and the Family in love, but they know completely what hopeless nothings they are without Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
185. (Summary of answer: ) The Lord gives a wonderful promise that you can put your complete trust in His Word that is published in the GNs. Those who receive messages from the Lord at my or Peter's request for the GNs have a special anointing from the Lord of faith‚ concentration, impartiality, receptivity, clarity and drawing power. I'm very thankful, as I know you are, that they're willing to carry this great responsibility so that Peter and I can receive and publish the tremendous volume of Word that the Lord wants to give us. If it were left up to Peter and me to receive all the prophecies, you would not receive nearly the same quantity. The Lord has such a wonderful plan, and even though the channels in our Home are weak men and women, the Lord uses them and anoints them for the job. Praise the Lord!
186. Sometimes when preparing the GNs, the Lord leads me to ask further questions regarding the prophecies we're publishing. I have included examples of such questions and the Lord's answers in various GNs. The Lord sweetly considers my questions and often allows little adjustments to be made, under His direction and according to His specific counsel. He does this so the published Word will be as clear as possible to as many of you as possible.
187. Also, please understand that by the time a directional or revelatory prophecy has been published in the GN, Peter and I have received many confirmations on it. We seek the Lord each step of the way and keep checking in with Him to make sure we're following closely and understanding very clearly what He's saying to us and the Family.
188. (More from Mama:) This working hand in hand with the Lord is not a privilege that is reserved only for me. Many of you use prophecy to shepherd your flocks and feed your contacts and sheep. You too can bring any questions you have about your prophecies to the Lord. If you feel something is worded in a way that would stumble the person, or you wonder if something is unclear or could be elaborated on more, then you can ask the Lord about it. He might in such a case lead you to make some changes, with His permission.
189. The key phrase in this is "with His permission." It's not acceptable to "edit" prophecy, to go over it to make it sound better or read more easily or be said in a way that you think would be easier for the person to receive. If you feel the need to make any changes in a prophecy, other than spelling and grammar, you should ask the Lord specifically about each question or proposed change, and get His instruction about what to do in prophecy!
False prophecies
190. (Question:) What is a false prophecy?
191. (Jesus speaking:) A false prophecy is where an evil spirit speaks through a person, or that person knowingly speaks out of the imagination of his own heart, his own words, not asking Me or not trying to speak My Words. A false prophecy is wrong and dangerous. It is much different than an influenced or tainted prophecy, and must be looked at and dealt with very differently. A false prophecy can do much harm, whereas influenced or even tainted prophecies, as long as they're prayed about further and kept in balance with confirmations and further prayer and counsel‚ are not nearly as dangerous to My work or children.
192. A false prophecy is one that is inspired by the Evil One or his forces. It is usually contrary to My will as revealed in the written Word. It causes the channel or others to get lifted up in extreme, damaging pride‚ which leads them and others astray, causing harm to the work and the sheep.
193. False prophecies bring division because they lead contrary to My revealed will as published in the GNs and the Charter. The Enemy seeks to stop the work, to throw a monkey wrench of distraction in the way of the work, as he wants to cause people to get out of My will and out from under the umbrella of My protection. His ultimate plan is to discredit the word of the queen and king, to cast doubt on My truth and My will for the Family as revealed in the GNs and the Charter.
194. False prophecies come as a result of sin—extreme pride or extreme unyieldedness. They're also the result of the channels being contaminated with System ideals‚ mores‚ and standards that are contrary to the Word, which the channel has consciously chosen to believe instead of My truth. When a person rebelliously rejects the truth of My Word‚ they open themselves up to be influenced by evil spirits, especially if they stay in this state of rebelliousness for a period of time.
195. False prophecies can also enter in through people who are accustomed to entertaining the words and ideals of evil spirits in their minds. If someone has opened their mind and heart to the spirit world and has beckoned that which is evil to enter in through violent thoughts and pictures, evil music from the Devil, strange and ungodly perversions and appetites, then that person can more easily become a channel for the evil spirits when receiving prophecy. If someone has been greatly weakened spiritually because of dabbling in the dark side of the spirit world, then those evil spirits have greater access to that person's mind and spirit because of their disobedience and rebellion, and this can be manifested when they are prophesying‚ until they can get strengthened and cleansed through the Word and prayer.
196. False prophecies cause people to look to the channel and the giver of the messages because they often provide information about events or people that is intriguing and "heavy," but contrary to the written Word given through Maria and Peter, or not yet revealed by Maria or Peter. When a channel receives revelations that are of the type that would normally be given through My chosen mouthpieces, Maria and Peter, then beware, for that is not My way. I have ordained Maria and Peter to be the keepers of My Word and of My general will for the Family, and I will reveal new directions, revelations, and correction through them and those they expressly commission to hear from Me on such matters.
197. When messages cause you to take your eyes off of the printed Word in the GNs, or when they contradict the printed Word and you feel you're getting "the fresh direction" from Me, though it be contrary to the Words of David, then you must take care to try the spirits. I will not lead My children through prophecy to do something that is contrary to the Words of David in the GNs or contrary to the Charter. I will give more detail in prophecy, or I will help you to see how the printed Word applies to your situation or how you can put it into practice and if it is time to do so, but I will not lead you contrary to the Word or the Charter. If you receive a prophecy that does such, it is a danger sign, and you should pray further about such a prophecy, asking Me to give further explanation about the prophecy, what it means, if it's a true prophecy‚ if there was a problem with the channel, and if there's anything that is "off" in the prophecy.
198. In some cases what might look like a false prophecy can be due to your not interpreting the prophecy correctly; or it can be due to a typographical error when the prophecy was transcribed; or it could be due to tainting that is extreme, but which does not go so far as to make the prophecy false.
199. There will be few cases of actual false prophecies in the Family, because My children of David have a strong foundation of faith through the Word. They have a strong sense of My will and they have a strong feeling of responsibility and a fear of Me when they give My Words. So there will be few actual false prophecies, and as the Family is strengthened in spirit and cleansed from the pollution of the System, there will be less and less.
200. There will be the occasional problem with false prophecies in which the Enemy is allowed to come in and test My Family—the individuals involved, the channel, and the shepherds. But these will be rare occasions‚ usually allowed as a lesson and a test of loyalty, discernment, and the deep spirituality of those who must judge such situations.
201. I caution you, My Family, to not overreact to the idea of false prophecies. Don't jump to conclusions and don't allow your first reaction to an unusual or "strange" message to be that it's false. You should rule out all other options first, and give the situation considerable time and prayer before accusing a channel of giving a false prophecy or prophecies, for that is a grave accusation and one that could have very lasting negative effects of discouragement and condemnation from the Enemy for that individual. If you have a leading that a prophecy might be false, you would need to get a confirmation from two or three reliable channels that the prophecy is indeed false before taking any steps to rectify the situation.
202. It is My will that My children learn to use their gifts of prophecy. I want you, My dear ones, to ask Me everything, but the Enemy doesn't want you to do that. He will seek to stop you and discourage you‚ which is something you need to remember when judging prophecy. You must take care that you don't allow the Enemy to come in and hinder someone's progress or the progress of a whole Home by wrongly accusing someone or some Home of receiving false prophecies. In the majority of cases, even messages that are strange or highly unusual or hard to understand and mysterious will not be false prophecies. I will largely protect the Family from false prophecies‚ except in rare cases. So your first reaction when judging prophecy should be based on this promise. (End of message from Jesus.)
203. (Summary of answer:) A false prophecy is where an evil spirit speaks through a person, or that person is inspired by the Enemy and knowingly speaks his own words, not the Lord's Words. False prophecies are very different from influenced or tainted prophecies in that they're extremely dangerous to the work.
204. False prophecies have the following characteristics:
ØThey're usually contrary to the Word‚ the New Wine or the Charter.
ØThey cause the channel or others to get lifted up in extreme pride, the kind of pride that is damaging to the work because it leads people astray.
ØThey bring division.
ØThey come as a result of extreme pride or extreme unyieldedness‚ or from the channel consciously rejecting the truth and being in a rebellious state for a period of time.
ØThey also come through people who have given place to the Enemy in their mind by entertaining evil thoughts and pictures, evil music from the Devil‚ and strange and ungodly perversions and appetites. Those people who have delved into the dark side of the spirit world are weaker in their defenses against the Enemy; the evil spirits have greater access to that person's mind and spirit because of their disobedience and rebellion.
205. (More from Mama:) You should be leery of a prophecy that is contrary to the written Word‚ or that provides information or direction that would normally be given by Peter or me. The Lord will not lead in prophecy contrary to the written Word or the Charter. He has ordained His general will for the Family to be revealed through me and Peter, and He will reveal new directions, revelations, and correction for the overall Family through us, not your local channels.
206. The Lord explains, however, that some prophecies might seem to be false prophecies but they're not. It's possible that you're misinterpreting them, or they were recorded wrong, or they're influenced or tainted, but not false. He promises that there will be few false prophecies in the Family, so you should be very careful about accusing someone of giving false prophecies, unless you've prayed about it, received two or three confirmations from reliable channels, and are sure of your conclusions, because you don't want to risk someone being very discouraged about their channel when the Lord is encouraging us all to ask Him about everything!
n Additional reading:
207. (Jesus speaking:) The surest way to know that a prophecy is false is if it goes contrary to the New Wine or the Charter, for I will not lead you to disobey My printed Word nor to step outside the rules‚ responsibilities, and guidelines of the Charter. You can also tell by the subject matter of the message‚ if it's something "new" that would normally be addressed by or revealed to Maria and Peter. You can also tell by the effect it has on the channel and those who hear the messages. If it causes the channel to be lifted up in extreme pride, or causes people to follow the channel more than the written Word or Maria and Peter, then that is definitely a danger sign. (End of message from Jesus.)
208. (Mama:) The Lord said that false prophecies cause extreme pride. You might have experienced some trouble with channels in your Home occasionally getting lifted up in pride about their gift. I want to clarify that while this is not good, it also does not necessarily mean those people are giving false prophecies. There are varying degrees of pride, as the Lord explains here:
209. (Jesus speaking:) Sometimes a reliable channel can get a little off the track spiritually and can get a little proud about their gift of prophecy. This causes them a problem and requires some shepherding. But it is usually more a private problem, which doesn't affect others much or the Home. But false prophecies that are intended by the Enemy to result in extreme pride of the channel do not just cause a problem for that one person, but for the work in general. The pride brought about as a result of false prophecies is extreme and damaging. (End of message from Jesus)
Judging false prophecies
210. (Question:) How do you judge whether a prophecy is false?
211. (Jesus speaking: ) Even if there are symptoms of a false prophecy evident, you should not jump to conclusions. I implore you to be very prayerful and to come to Me for My counsel and insight on the matter. Also, seek counsel and confirmation from others, especially from your overseers, if possible. You can't only rely on your own impressions or interpretation of things. You must look to Me for further information and counsel, and you must seek the prayerful opinion of others.
212. When you suspect that someone is receiving false prophecies, you should, if at all possible, receive exact transcripts of such prophecies and study them. Then you should ask Me about them, and have others do the same. Get further insight from Me by seeking Me further. I will usually explain why the prophecy is not false but is misinterpreted, incomplete, or tainted. There will be the rare occasion, however, when there will be a false prophecy or prophecies.
213. You must also be very careful that you don't allow your personal opinions or prejudices or emotions to enter in when you're judging a prophecy‚ for it's a grave responsibility and you have the person's heart in your hands. You who bear this responsibility should ask Me for the gifts of discernment and knowledge‚ as well as for spiritual insight and eyes to see as I see. You should go slow and be prayerful and not make snap or immediate decisions. If you seek Me, I promise I will make it very clear—obvious, in fact—when a channel is giving false prophecies.
214. If you're praying about someone's prophecies, you can ask them to refrain from public prophesying in the meantime. You can also ask that they not receive prophecies for others during that time. This will keep them from having an influence on others‚ so you will not feel rushed or pressured. But you should be diligent to seek Me and others' counsel on the matter and not leave the channel hanging and wondering. (End of message from Jesus.)
215. (Summary of answer: ) The presence of one or some of the signs of false prophecy alone is not enough to declare a prophecy false, as there is the possibility that you might be misinterpreting or not understanding the prophecy. You must seek the Lord and others for counsel and confirmation. You who must judge prophecies should ask for the gifts of discernment and knowledge. If at all possible, get written transcripts of the questionable prophecies to study and pray about.
216. It's extremely important that you be very prayerful when judging others' prophecies, especially when you're in the difficult position of deciding if a prophecy is false. The Lord promises He will make it very clear, even obvious, if the prophecy is false—so seek Him!
217. As you pray about it, the channel should not prophesy publicly or receive messages for others. Be sure to follow up with the person if you have restricted their prophesying; don't just leave them hanging, with the situation unresolved.
218. (More from Mama:) To suggest that someone has received a false prophecy is no small thing and should be taken very seriously. Much prayer and counsel should go into a situation where you feel this is possibly the case. You should not just discuss it and come to conclusions based on your own opinions or interpretations, or the opinions of your co-workers or overshepherds. You must ask the Lord and get confirmations in prophecy before you come to the conclusion that a prophecy is false. You should also try to counsel with your VSs or CROs, if possible, before you talk with someone about their having received a false prophecy. This is not something to be taken lightly. You really need to know you're right, because if you're not, you can cause someone a lot of unnecessary battles and anguish.
219. Also, you need to be very loving when you approach someone about this problem. Never be condemning or harsh! There is no need to be heavy or to get upset. You do not need to make such a problem a public spectacle. Even if the Lord shows you that you need to make it known to others or your Home members that a person is not prophesying publicly or receiving messages for others for a time, you should desperately seek the Lord about how to present the information, to minimize the embarrassment for the person involved. You are not to label someone, nor should others!
220. Also, the person who is said to have received a false prophecy can communicate directly with the VSs and CROs about the situation if he or she feels something is not being handled correctly.
What to do about
false prophecies
221. (Question:) What do you do when someone gives a false prophecy or prophecies?
222. (Jesus speaking:) When you're sure someone is receiving false prophecies‚ and you've counseled with others about it and received adequate confirmation from Me, then the person must be instructed. You should go to the person and lovingly explain the problem‚ showing them the further instruction and insight that you received when praying about the prophecies. You should explain the negative fruits of the prophecies and how they go contrary to the Word. Your explanation should be specific and direct, but very loving.
223. You must correct such a one in the spirit of meekness, with sympathy and understanding, realizing that the person will surely feel very bad, terribly embarrassed, and will be tempted to never give another prophecy.
224. The judgment for giving a false prophecy is not that that person will never use his channel again. That is not appropriate discipline. But he should, however, have a time when he refrains from using his channel publicly, while he takes time to pray more about the problem, receive My instruction, and have united prayer against the spiritual problems that contributed to his opening up to the Enemy's channel.
225. I want all My children to benefit from a direct link with Me. I want to be each one's personal Shepherd, so I don't want any to pull away from this gift, even if they've had the painful experience of receiving a false prophecy or prophecies. If such a channel repents and seeks Me diligently and makes right the things that caused him to be an open channel for the Enemy, then I will forgive him and continue to allow him to use his gift of prophecy.
226. Just because a person gives a false prophecy or prophecies does not mean that he's doomed to be a questionable channel forever. A person can be cleansed and restored to full reliability. There is forgiveness, and that which was false is remembered no more! There should be a time of probation, during which that channel would not be called upon to receive prophecies for others or to prophesy publicly, but he can continue to exercise his gift to receive personal prophecies. During that time of probation, however, the person's personal prophecies should be monitored by his shepherd(s). (End of message from Jesus.)
227. (Summary of answer: ) When you're sure someone has received a false prophecy, and you've counseled with others, prayed about it and received confirmation from the Lord, you must instruct him, showing him where the problem is and how he got off track and the bad fruit it is bearing. Please be very loving! As you can imagine, the person will feel very bad and will be extremely leery of ever prophesying again. The way you handle the problem will make a big difference in how they respond. You need to be clear, but not condemning or self-righteous.
228. The person will need to have united prayer against the spiritual problems that caused him to open up to the Enemy's voice. He should also have a time of probation during which he does not prophesy publicly or receive messages for others. He can, however, receive personal prophecies during that time. Those personal prophecies should be read and judged by his shepherd(s).
229. Someone who received a false prophecy can be restored completely and become a reliable channel again. If the person repents and gets right with the Lord‚ the Lord will forgive him and use his gift of prophecy again.
n Additional reading:
230. (Jesus speaking:) If a false prophecy occurs, you must help the member to see the problem and to want deliverance from it. They must actively seek protection by My Spirit so they will not be hindered in thought and spirit by spirits other than Mine and My holy spirits.
231. You must have their will on your side, just as in a prayer of deliverance, for without it, you cannot be assured of their clear channel. They'll be in need of deliverance and a strong wall of the protection of My Spirit. If they desire this, then you can pray for them. Unite and coat them with My Spirit, have them be filled with My Spirit, and then you must allow them to once again hear from Me. But I say‚ continue to raise the standard against the Enemy with them and pray with them even after the deliverance, so that you will not allow any unclean and familiar spirits to enter in through those who are weak. (End of message from Jesus.)
232. (Jesus speaking: ) While it's necessary to be aware of the Enemy's devices and wise in your prophesying, you don't need to give undue attention to the Evil One by talking repeatedly or excessively about false prophecies. This includes joking about so-called false prophecies or gossiping about people whose prophecies are in question.
233. If someone is learning lessons about their prophecies‚ you should pray for that person. Help them in their battles against embarrassment, condemnation, discouragement, fear of failure, and lack of faith by lifting them up in prayer. Don't talk about others and the lessons they're learning. Don't gossip, laugh and snicker. Don't lift yourself up as being better than those who have had problems learning to use their gift of prophecy. Such immature behavior only makes matters worse and is not profitable.
234. If someone has united prayer regarding their gift of prophecy‚ especially if it's to rebuke the influences of the Enemy and the resultant false prophecies, it's your duty in love to fight in the spirit, and to be sympathetic to the person and supportive in spirit. You are your brother's keeper, and a person who is learning lessons regarding prophecy is in need of much prayer, especially so that they don't get discouraged and lay down this important new weapon. (End of message from Jesus.)
(Note: For more on false prophecies and how to judge them, please see "Prophecy Questions You May Have Always Wanted to Ask, Part 2," ML #3035, Lifelines 23.)
Will NWOs cause
tainted prophecies?
235. (Question: ) What if I'm held back from hearing from the Lord because of fear of receiving tainted prophecies because of my NWOs?
(Here is what someone received in specific reference to their NWOs hindering or not hindering their channel:)
236. (Jesus speaking: ) There is no perfect channel on Earth. I know that your NWOs drive you to Me. You feel you're proud, but you're so hurt by your own pride that you fall on your knees before Me and beg Me to forgive you for your pride and release you from it. You're self-righteous, but having this sin before you also works to humble you, if not humiliate you, when you realize that you've fallen back into it again.
237. My love, I'm well pleased that you fight your NWOs, because if you didn't, you'd be in a bad state to hear from Me. But it's been these NWOs of yours that have drawn you close to Me. It's been your yearning, your desire, your wish to be close to Me and to reflect My love, so in this you have come to Me again and again, seeking ways to circumvent and overcome these problems.
238. So don't fear the tainting and the influencing and the misinterpreting of My Words. As long as you keep that same state of desperation, the way you feel now when you don't want these sins of the spirit and you bring them constantly before Me, even so will I continue to speak to you.
239. You're always aware of these problems; they're the bane of your existence. You wish that they would go away and you could be problem-free. But sometimes they're as the thorn that I put in Paul's side. Without them you would truly be unbearable! You'd be so proud, and I only use those who are humble of heart, who are broken, contrite, and who are in great need of Me. So don't be in despair about your NWOs, when you're conscious of them, or when you bemoan them or feel that you've made no progress.
240. Now that you can hear from Me clearly, I can show you the path to walk in, and your pride‚ your self-righteousness‚ and your own iniquity, which is ever before you, does not direct your steps, but My Words do. Now that you come to Me to ask My directions, I can prevent you from falling through your own sins and weaknesses.
241. So you must not allow these weaknesses to prevent your hearing from Me, do you understand? The words and the messages I give you are your salvation. They're the way out of the morass of self-pity or the pit of feeling misunderstood. They're the path of salvation for you‚ because I'll be showing you what to do instead of your being led by your own feelings, which might be directed by your weaknesses.
242. If you allow yourself to stop hearing from Me because of your NWOs, then your NWOs will overtake you. It's vital, it's crucial, it's of utmost importance that you hear from Me even more when you feel you're buffeted by your weaknesses‚ because then I can show you the way out. I can show you the path to victory. I can even show you ways in which you're not yielding.
243. So have peace, My love. Just bring each question to Me, and I will answer it. You have no need to be afraid to hear from Me because of your NWOs or your personal problems. Know that I love you and I speak to you and I need you—even with all your problems.
244. Didn't I speak to the prophets of old, even when they were disobedient? Didn't I send signs and wonders and speak to their hearts even when they were weak in faith? Yes‚ this was because their disobedience was just for a moment, a moment of discouragement‚ a moment of a lack of faith. But overall they loved Me and clung to Me, and were only momentarily hit with these attacks of the Enemy. But because they were open to Me, I could pull them out of their discouragement, restore their faith, and set them on their feet again.
245. So don't hesitate to hear from Me when you're discouraged, or feel your own problems and weaknesses are bowing you down. It's in this moment that I wish to speak to you the most, that I wish to strengthen you, and that I will set you on a plain path. (End of message from Jesus.)
246. (Summary of answer: ) Worrying about your NWOs should not keep you from hearing from the Lord. If you're not doing anything to fight your NWOs and improve‚ then that could be a problem, but if you're seeking to stay close to the Lord and you want to do His will and you're trying to make progress in your weaknesses and shortcomings, then He will speak to you, and you don't need to worry about receiving prophecies that are influenced by your personal feelings or your lack of faith. Your natural inclination might be to shy away from receiving prophecies when you're out of the victory and struggling spiritually, but that's not the right way to look at it; that's when you need to hear from the Lord the most, so He can pull you out of your battles!
When you're battling
247. (Question:) If you're battling in some area of your life—such as a big forsake-all, for example—can you still be a reliable channel? Say you're really jealous or there's some kind of unyieldedness in your life. Can you get good prophecies in spite of that? The tendency is to think that if someone is really going through it, then their prophecies might be off.
248. (Jesus speaking:) There's a time of innocence where you might be battling, but you haven't yet come to grips with what it is, or I haven't pointed it out to you clearly, or it hasn't yet come to a head. That's a time when you must seek Me desperately, as always, when you're to hear from Me, and as long as you desperately seek My Words, I will give them to you freely.
249. There comes a time of decision in every battle, where I give you the truth and ask you to receive it. It often involves yielding, or coming before Me to ask Me what the problem is, or making something right in your life or heart. That's a crucial time of decision, and often determines which way that particular battle is going to go—whether you're going to be strengthened or weakened through it. Of course, those decisions continue to come up as the battle progresses, especially if it's a long–term battle, such as jealousy, which can take some time to overcome. As long as you're fighting to overcome it, and you're following the steps to victory which I've outlined for you, and you're doing your best to make the right decisions, you're under My protection, and your channel will not be hindered.
250. However‚ if you begin to make the wrong decisions, if you refuse to yield to something that I ask of you, if you don't come to Me to receive the specific answers that you need to continue making progress, if you close yourself off to My counsel either in the Word or through your shepherds, then you put yourself in danger of having a tainted channel, one that doesn't hear as clearly as is needed.
251. I cannot bless disobedience, and I cannot reward sin. I forgive readily, yes, and am ready at any moment to take you back into My arms and restore your channel and begin the strengthening process. But what does hinder your channel is if you choose to quit fighting, if you yield to the Enemy's temptations and don't keep moving forward along the road that I've put before you. If you make deliberate, rebellious, wrong decisions when you know what My will is, then I can't continue to protect your channel. I can't keep your channel clean and pure when you don't yield to the truth I show you either through the printed Word or the voice of prophecy.
252. I'm merciful and I understand that sometimes the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak, and when I see that you desire to yield and you're making steps to yield and you are doing what you can to live My Word, then I'll protect your channel and you can trust that you'll receive clear, reliable prophecies. But if you turn away from Me in heart and you make a conscious effort to rebel against Me and My Word, and you don't repent, then you run the risk of getting a seriously influenced or tainted prophecy.
253. I know it seems difficult to you and a lot to ask in order to be able to hear clearly from Me, but it's not really. It just comes one step at a time. Just make the right decisions one day at a time‚ and I'll do the work of keeping you on track and your channel pure. Just say yes! (End of message from Jesus)
254. (Summary of answer:) Sometimes you might be battling seriously but you can't put your finger on what it is. You haven't yet asked the Lord or you haven't seen what's wrong. During such a time, which is usually a pretty confusing time in your life, you can still hear from the Lord clearly. This is what He refers to as "the time of innocence." You're not yet fully accountable to what He wants you to learn or do, since you don't really understand what it is.
255. But then there comes a time of decision‚ when the Lord shows you the truth and challenges you to receive it and yield. The Lord promises that as long as you're fighting to overcome, and you're following the steps to victory‚ and you're doing your best to make the right decisions, you're under His protection, and your channel will not be hindered.
256. But after the time of decision, you need to be very careful, because there are some actions or attitudes, which if not repented of, can cause your channel to be hindered in some way. Those are:
ØMaking a conscious effort to rebel and reject the Lord's instruction.
ØRefusing to yield.
ØMaking deliberate wrong decisions contrary to what you know to be the Lord's will.
ØNot going back to the Lord to hear further instruction to continue to make progress.
ØClosing yourself off to the counsel from the Lord in prophecy, the printed Word, or your shepherds.
ØCeasing to fight or to move forward.
257. If you find you're doing or have done any of these things, then please get right with the Lord right away. He will abundantly pardon and will begin the strengthening process immediately.
258. (More from Mama:) The longer you stay unyielded and rebellious to the Lord's will, the harder it will be to cleanse your channel, because with time you'll develop wrong thought patterns as you'll get used to listening to the voice of the Enemy. So it behooves you to forsake anything that's not right in your life now! On this subject, the Lord said:
259. The primary requisite to hearing clearly from Me is to be yielded—to be willing to hear My Words, no matter what they are. I've said before that you don't have to be in a state of complete yieldedness, because often the time you need to hear from Me the most is when you're battling or struggling with something. But you must desire to yield. You must pray—and pray sincerely—"not my will, but Thine be done." If you're willing to pray that, and desire to hear My Words above all, I will not give you a stone, but will reward you with the spiritual bread which you seek. (End of message from Jesus.)
(Note: Please also reread paragraphs 155-173 of part 1 of this series in GN 876 for more on this point.)
260. (Mama: ) God bless you, dear Family, as you progress in your use of the wonderful gift of prophecy. I know this is a lot to take in and it will take you some time to fully understand this counsel and to learn to put it into practice. But just remember that using this tremendously important new weapon is a learning experience, and you aren't expected to be perfect. There will be lessons involved, and you won't always get every message you receive from the spirit world perfectly clearly. But you don't need to feel embarrassed about that or feel like you've failed. Just keep going, keep listening and learning, and you'll soon become a sharpshooter! Praise the Lord! Peter and I love you so very much and are praying for you.
Much love in our precious Husband and Counselor,
Mama