Keys to Victory series

By MariaMaria #555 CM/FM 3324 12/00

Dearest Family,

1. I love you so much! Recently the Lord has given some very good counsel on the subject of change and how we can bring about change in our lives.

2. We all know that personal change doesn't come easily. It's especially difficult to change the habits, first reactions and mindsets that have been with you for practically your whole life. It's almost impossible to change such things. Note the word "almost." It is possible! But because habits can be so very deeply ingrained, it's easy to become numb to the Lord's checks in some areas. If that's the case, it definitely requires supernatural power to perform the miracle of change. Basically, you have to want it more than anything in the world and be willing to give up anything to have it. Only that kind of desperation will enable the Lord to make you a new creature.

3. Following are messages with specifics and practical tips on what it takes to secure long-lasting change and overcome deeply ingrained habits, reactions and mindsets.

How-tos of Change!

4. (Jesus speaking: ) Change is a word of tremendous power! Change affects every sphere of the Earth and the Heavens, and is, in great part, the driving force behind all things. Almost everything that is a great accomplishment, a forward advancement, a noble achievement, is a product of change. Change has been the wings of every great man or woman—famous or in­famous—throughout history. Those who have launched out to do new things, to experiment, to remedy problems, to find solutions, to pioneer‚ to achieve the impossible, to take great strides for mankind, have all been embracers of the word "change."

5. How is it then that so many dread change when it comes to their personal lives? Yes, change is difficult and can be a battle. People can even change for the worse rather than the better. But in this case I am speaking of change in its true sense, the purpose for which the word change and its power was created—as a tool for any man‚ woman or child to take ahold of their life, heart, mind, soul and spirit and cause an effect, to make a difference, to help another, to better themselves, to allow Me to bring about forward motion, movement and progress through them. That is the root of the word change.

6. I have given change to all My children through the ages as a special gift. You don't have to accept your circumstances. You don't have to be satisfied with the way you are, the way you think, or the way you feel. You can change things! You can change anything, with My help! Your weaknesses can be strengthened, your faith can grow, your spirit can soar‚ your endurance can be prolonged—anything you wish is possible with the gift of change. And this gift is given to all. There's not one person on this Earth‚ saved or un­saved, who can't take ahold of the gift of change and change something in their life or world for the better.

7. However, for you, My children, change takes on an even greater power‚ because not only do you have the physical and natural power of change at your disposal, but you also have the supernatural and spiritual power of change available to you. This leaves you holding a raw power that has no limits! Do you see what this means? It's a tremendous gift, yet many of My children cringe at the thought of change. This is because they see through a glass darkly and do not have the Heavenly vision—perfect faith and trust in Me that anything I do and any change that I effect will be for their good.

8. Those who are able to rest their lives in My hands see more change than those who try to hold on to themselves, to keep themselves safe and secure and free from change. Those who let go and who fling their arms wide open in wild abandonment of self are the ones who see great change—mental change, emotional change, physical change—changes mani­fested in many physical ways‚ through healing, happi­ness, health, love, natural enjoyment, trust, confidence, assurance, peace‚ delight, joy, laughter, company of friends, fulfillment, satisfaction‚ and on the list goes!

9. The true benefits of godly change are always good. The fruits of change make up a list longer than the fruits of the Spirit, and these are gifts and blessings that each of My children wants and sincerely desires and seeks. So ­often My children pray for these gifts that come as a result of change, but they don't want the change itself. They don't see that the two are interlocked, that the change comes before the gifts and blessings. They want the cart before the horse, but they won't get anywhere that way. In order to receive the personal blessings of change, you have to let go of self and fear and worry‚ and entrust your life to My hands.

10. Many pray and cry out to Me for help to overcome their sins, weaknesses, and inabilities. I want to help them. I long to help them. I love to help them. But they have to allow Me the opportunity to change them. Depending on the request and the situation, some change can be effected quickly; other changes take more time. Some changes people have faith for; other changes seem to be more miraculous and even impossible.

11. Nothing is impossible for Me! It's true that many people have deeply ingrained personal habits, weaknesses, or lacks that are very much a part of their nature or being, but even those can be changed and altered with My miracle-working power of change. Nothing is too hard for Me. But I must have your cooperation in order to do such miracles.

12. When it comes to very long-standing problems and difficulties, there are more steps that a person must pass through in order to re­ceive the blessing. First, I must have your per­mission to effect change in your life. This takes great faith and yielded­ness, because when a habit is long-standing and negative, many of My children have difficulty letting go of it. They may want to get rid of it and obtain victory, but because it's been a part of them for so long, they lack faith for the change. They lack faith that they can actually make the change. This is because they think that somehow they have to do it.

13. But this is where they're wrong. I do the miracle and change them. Yes, they have to do their part, but their part is not to make the change—it's simply to be yielded, willing‚ receptive, obedient, humble, and open to My voice. I will give clear instructions to the one seeking change and deliverance over a great and long-standing weakness or habit. If they follow My counsel and do what I tell them, they will find the change that they seek.

14. Second, they must believe. It does no good to come before Me and cry out for a change and help and a miracle to overcome, when in your heart you don't believe that it's possible. It's not enough to pretend you have faith for the benefit of others or because they have the faith that you can change. You must come to grips with whether you believe I can change you or not. I've given clear promises that I can, and in order to work such a great change in your life, I require you to believe those promises and come to Me with your heart full of them, claiming them and standing on them. That's a requirement to receive such great personal change in your life. The one who believes and believes and continues to believe is the one who gets great answers and sees great changes.

15. If you've seen some people pray repeatedly for change or desire it for a long time, yet not receive the blessing or see the fulfillment of it, this is often the reason why. They want the change, they desire it, and they may partially believe that they can receive it, but they lack full faith. They're too negative about themselves. They don't feel they'll be able to follow through, they think others lack faith in them, or they want the change without any pain or difficulty‚ so I'm unable to answer their prayers and effect change.

16. Change is not an easy road, but it is a road of great reward. Those who are willing to fight and struggle through the land of change are those who inherit the promises and see the fulfillment of their labors. There's hardly a greater joy than to see a beautiful change in someone's heart and life‚ to see the manifestation of such a powerful miracle. It's not what they've done, or what I alone have done, but what we have done together—a teamwork and close partnership of one who yields to his or her Master, and the Master who gives them a gift. They then take the gift and utilize it, and reap the blessings and benefits.

17. Even then, as I've just told you‚ the con­tinued effects of change remain a partnership between you and Me. This explains why you've seen some have a marvelous change in their life, one that is clearly supernatural, and then they do well for a time, but later lapse back into their old ways, losing the victory, losing that beautiful change, and reverting to their former state. This is because they lost their connection with Me; they lost their yieldedness. They gave up what I required of them to keep making progress and keep walking down the path of change. Change is a gift that must be exercised and honed. In order to hone this gift to the full, there are requirements which you must fulfill if you are to avail yourselves of My miracle-working power that will help you make the necess­ary changes in your life.

18. Another requirement in order to exercise this gift of change is not only the person believing that it is possible, but desiring it wholeheartedly and desperately. The person must want change and want it badly. It's not enough to think‚ "Oh, sure, that would be great if I could change to being a more considerate person‚ or someone who is less sensitive." You have to want it, be desperate for it, and be willing to do any­thing in order to get it. Change is not handed to you on a silver platter; you must actively exercise this gift. You must, through diligence and desperation, hone it if you are to make progress and reap the good results. I give the power to change to those who are desperate.

19. So, how do you get it? What are some simple steps that you can take to change in an area that you've struggled with long and hard? What if, for all your trying and desperation and even united prayer, you don't seem to be getting anywhere? What if you still seem to be at square one, and you feel like resigning yourself to always being that way? Is there hope for you? Yes, there certainly is!

20. I'll give you an outline of some steps to take in order to effect change in your life, but you must personalize this list by coming to Me for how I would work in your particular situation, because each weak­ness and area to be overcome has its peculiar­ities. Some require strong and fervent united prayer. Others require that you humble yourself before those you're close to. Yet others necessitate a time of daily desperate private prayer, between you and Me. There are many variations, and according to your heart and state of mind and spirit‚ I will give you what you need in order to gain the victories through lasting change that you are seeking. But here are some standard points that will be a help and guide to you:

1. Thank Me for the ability to change that I make available to you, through My power.
2. Outline on paper the areas that you feel you need deliverance in and that you wish to change in. It can be helpful to concentrate on one at a time in order to devote your attention to it fully.
3. Seek within your heart to see if you have the faith that I can change you. Ask yourself if you really believe that I can change you completely in your ­areas of weakness.
4. Ask Me if you truly believe in My power to change you. You may feel that you do, but receive this confirmation from Me, because I can show you any nagging doubts that you may have hidden in your heart, which you would need to get cleansed by the Word and prayer.
5. Read faith-building Word to increase your faith in My power to change. Read about the miracles that I've done through­out the ages. Ask Me to give you personalized messages that will give you the boost of faith you need‚ and ask Me to tell you when you're ready to proceed to the next step. Without faith, your works are dead.
6. Ask yourself how badly you want this change. Do you want it badly enough to accept whatever I bring about in your life as a result? Are you willing to forsake yourself, your plans, your pride, your own ways‚ thoughts and ideas? Are you willing to be made willing? Are you willing to go through the hard land of change? Is it worth it to you?
7. Come before Me and commit your weakness to Me. Ask Me for the specific change that you want. You can receive a prayer to Me in prophecy, if you want, that outlines exactly what you want Me to do for you.
8. Receive specific promises from Me about the change that I will give you. Ask Me what your part should be and I will give you detailed instruction to follow day by day. Do what I tell you, as that's your part to receive this change in your life.
9. Be ready to fight and struggle through this land of change for as long as it takes, knowing that the rewards are high—priceless, in fact—as you receive the change that you've requested.
10. Be willing to ask for united prayer, once you've committed these things to Me pri­vate­ly and heard from Me about what I want you to do. Ask Me if you should come before the body to receive prayer and laying on of hands. There is great power and an added boost in showing your humility and dependence on Me in this way.
11. Each week, ask Me for specific instruction and a progress report on how you're doing. Ask Me if you're fulfilling your end of the bargain and how things are going. Ask Me for specific ways to react, to respond, in order to form new habits, contrary to your old ways of ­doing things, seeing things‚ and responding to things.
12. Praise Me every day for working in your life. Praise Me for changing you. Praise, praise, praise! Don't allow yourself to doubt or to become discouraged if you think you're not changing. Rebuke the Enemy when he comes in, and re­fuse to give in. The victory and change is yours, so claim it by faith. Then put feet to your prayers and faith by continuing to work hand in hand with Me and My voice‚ as I tell you how to keep progressing to the victory and eventual reward!

21. The most important thing is to come to Me‚ so that I can outline to you what your program for change will be. There are points, like those above, which are common to all. But the most important point is the state of your heart. The humble, desperate and yielded heart I will not despise. And if you are all three of these things, or desperately desire to be, then I cannot and will not turn you away. I will work with you for months and even years, if need be, to give you the change that you desire. I will be your Personal Counselor and I will never give up on you. Even if your progress is slow, pro­g­ress will be made. I will anoint and empower you and give you dispensations of grace and supernatural strength and encouragement to continue on, even when you fall and blow it. I will give you additional spirit helpers who will give you the determination and guts to see this change through.

22. I will be your all in all‚ for I love to effect change, and I especially love the delight and joy it brings to one of My children to see that I have done the miracle for them, with them, and through them. As we work together, I am able to create the miracle of change in your heart and life, and this is a beautiful and wonderful thing. Each of My children should try it.

23. Don't despair over something that isn't right in your life—ask Me to change it! But be sure you're willing to see it through‚ because it's often a long and hard road, and the battles of the mind are especially straining, but the victory is well worth it. The most costly battles yield the greatest results‚ and the rewards match up to the cost of the fight.

24. So if it's a big struggle and you don't feel you'll make it, you can be encouraged to know that the results of the change in your life will be far-reaching and tremendous. Hang in there! Change, though painful, costly‚ and sometimes almost unbear­able, is a divine blessing from My hand‚ and a special touch of My love for you. If you ask for it, I'm more than willing to give it to you. (End of message from Jesus.)

Ask for Patience and Faith,

And Don't Get Discouraged

25. (Jesus speaking:) There are a number of things you can do to bring forth change‚ both physically and spiritually. Remember‚ "with man it is impossible, but with God, all things are poss­ible." The main thing you can do is pray—and don't get discouraged! Prayer can do miracles, and only through My miracle-working power can someone have a real change from within.

26. It's not something you can work up within yourself, especially when changing thought patterns‚ or first reactions, or things that hit your heart and cause you to react a certain way. A lot can be accomplished through prayer. If you feel you are dull to My checks of the Spirit, pray and ask Me to make you more attuned and sensitive. But don't expect overnight miracles or that you will have instantaneous metanoia. A lot of times people give up and get discouraged because they don't see change happen right away. It takes perseverance, determination, stick-to-itiveness‚ and tenacity in prayer. Be like the importunate woman who would not let go until she got an answer.

27. Remember that you will fall, you will fail, you will blow it, and it may seem that you're not changing. Because this type of change is not instant­aneous, the Enemy can tempt you to feel that it's hopeless, it will never happen‚ and that I don't answer your prayers. But those who persevere are rewarded and get results. So prayer is the most important thing you can do—not only to ask for prayer from your loved ones and mates, but also to keep in touch with Me, asking Me to speak to you about the areas you desire a change in. Hear from Me about it and be faithful to do what you can, and I will do the rest.

28. The spiritual is most important, but there are practical things you can do as well. For example, find someone who has a quality or qualities you admire, and ask them for any tips or pointers, or even observations about yourself they may have that would help you personally. Study your problem in the Word and the other pubs I have given you over the years. There is much information available in your CAT Book, Home Arc, Word Topics‚ Word Basics and other pubs. You can study what I have said about many spiritual and even practical problems by checking your indexes. And for such practical problems as forgetful­ness, disorgani­za­tion‚ or poor listening skills, you may even find a self-help book on these subjects useful. Research the Word and find quotes or Scriptures that you can claim and hang on to in times of testing, discouragement, or when you feel you're not making significant progress. Set goals for yourself, whether physical or spiritual‚ but start off small. Don't try to bite off more than you can chew.

29. Most of all, ask Me for patience and faith and the ability to walk by faith and not by sight. Too many people give up too easily when they don't see themselves changing as quickly as they would like to, and they slip back and lose the progress that's been made. They forget that the Enemy is going to fight them tooth and nail! As the Enemy of their soul, he's not going to want them to change for the better. This is another reason people give up—they find the fight too difficult, too taxing, too discouraging, and instead of holding on and fighting through to victory, they grow weary of the battle and depart from the fray.

30. Last but not least, seek Me about whatever problem it is you're having; keep coming to Me for counsel and guidance. If you stumble, ask Me for help and tips as to how to avoid it next time. Remember, I know you intimately, and I will gently lead you down the path of change that you seek. Together we can win the battle! (End of message from Jesus.)

Understand the Need to Change

31. (Jesus speaking:) I have made the world and all that is therein—man, the animals‚ the plant life, and even the structure of all of these things, the cells and the molecules, and even the energy of which they consist and which they emanate, to flow, to grow, and to move in a certain direction. I have set the stars and the planets in their courses, in the way that they should go, and they follow My pattern therein.

32. I have created the basic building blocks of the universe to build upon itself in the same manner and according to the same patterns‚ the cells building upon each other to form the structure, whether it be pyramidical, conical‚ or in whatever shape or form I have designed. I have set all of these things in motion, and therefore they move according to the direction and the pattern I've designed for them.

33. I have constructed man according to a similar set of principles, in that once man begins to move in a certain direction and according to a certain pattern, then that's the way he goes; that's the direction he moves. If he forms the habit of having coffee in the morning, then that's what he does every morning. His whole existence follows a certain pattern or format that he has established.

34. Men and women are creatures of habit, and their cells, as well as their spiritual outlook, as well as everything that they are, naturally resist change—because change usually means a tearing down of that which has been built and the building of a new structure.

35. I have made men‚ as well as all of creation, to go in the direction they are set, to grow, to build cell upon cell, structure upon structure, habit upon habit. So to change direction means to reverse yourself to some degree, and this takes effort. This takes actual energy, which in the end takes sacrifice. It takes the tearing down of yourself and the way you react, the way you are, the way that has become a habit to you and is therefore comfortable. It takes sacrificing the "plow and oxen" and following Me in a new direction.

36. It comes down to a simple matter of lazi­ness and selfishness—finding it easier to keep on doing what you're doing‚ rather than to go to all the work, trouble, and expenditure of time and energy that it takes to make a solid, concrete move and change.

37. Usually change only comes about as a necessity. The little birdie will not usually leave the nest until his mother nudges him out, because it's warm and comfortable, easier to get fed there, and there's less expenditure of energy‚ less sacrifice, and it's easier. Yet the time comes when he's too big for the nest and he has to learn to go out and forage for himself, to grow and mature and to become an adult birdie. He has to come to the realization that his life cannot continue the way it has been. Something has to force him into that change—either the necess­ity to get out and get food for himself because his parents are no longer doing it, or the ­parents nudge him out them­selves.

38. There usually has to be some motivation, some reason, some cause that takes greater priority in his motivation. There has to be a reason, otherwise things don't just change by themselves. Nothing changes unless there's a reason.

39. This reason has to be present in order for there to be long–lasting change, and this reason must outweigh in importance all the reasons for remaining the same. Because to remain the same is simply easier, less work, less trouble, and less motivation is needed. It's easier to keep going the same way, in the same direction, reacting the same way‚ and doing things the same way that you've always done them and that you're used to doing them.

40. I've made you that way! It's nothing to be ashamed of, for when you're going in the right direction, then you accomplish much for Me this way, by building line upon line in the direction I'm leading. But when it's time for Me to change direction, then it's like pulling teeth. It's like getting stubborn oxen to change their path! Oxen usually have to be forced to change by pricking them in the right way so that they're motivated to change direction.

41. But with you it's usually not so, for the change will not always be long-lasting if it's brought about that way. You need a "reason," the understanding of why you must go in a different direction, of why it's important for you to change the way you react.

42. In the case of a person who's overweight, perhaps that reason is that you see that your strength and health will deteriorate and you may even die if you continue to consume fat at the rate you're consuming it and not burning it off‚ and so it motivates you to change your eating and exercise habits. There has to be a reason, for I have given mankind free choice, and thus man must understand that change is not just nice or good, but that it's absolutely necessary to bring about the desired result.

43. To make this change "take" and to make it long–lasting, to really solidify the change, it takes a desire and a reason that far outweighs the laziness of man‚ the inborn self-interest and nature of man to "preserve" himself and to preserve the status quo. You must see that the direction you're going, that of preservation, will not be good for you in the long run, and you must have the desire to abandon all things as you know them in order to embrace the changes that you're convinced are necessary.

44. To make change long-lasting, you must see that your life and your way of thinking or reacting or living will not produce the results that you want. You must be convinced that a change in direction is absolutely necessary before you will go to the trouble to make the effort to tear down your old ways of being and to con­struct new ways. Why? Because it's a lot of work, trouble, and sacrifice on your part to make these changes!

45. Man is not only a creature of habit, he is also a creature of comfort. It's natural to seek to make things orderly, comfortable, and satisfactory. So to then have to go and break down that order, that comfort, and that satisfaction, there has to be a good reason! And that reason has to outweigh the comfort, order, and satisfaction you're enjoying!

46. It's man's nature to seek stability and comfort, and I've made it this way. But it is My super­natural foresight to seek change when things are not going as they should. Therefore, in these cases I must overrule what I've made natural by My supernatural or "above nature" way of acting. I am not bound by your nature. You are. I am not bound by what is natural. You are, to put it simply. Therefore, for long-lasting change to really come into play, My nature and drive must overtake yours‚ which it frequently does.

47. This is why I say it's "almost" imposs­ible. For with man it is impossible, in man's own nature, for man is simply made to go the way he goes. But with My nature it is not impossible, for all things are possible with Me. So to make change long-lasting and permanent—that is‚ completely changed from the other direction and set solidly in the new direction—one must seek My nature and come to understand that the way his nature is leading him will not be fruitful, and in fact, often will lead to destruction of his structure anyway.

48. Once this is seen, once man is able to look at the way he's building and the direction he's going, once he sees that his own destination is not where he wants to go, and in fact that it will often result in the destruction of the present structure, this will often give him the motivation to change direction and to move in another path.

49. This is My prod to man. As oxen are prodded with a goad‚ My "goad" for mankind is the under­standing of where he will end up. This goads him to change direction, for he will not change any other way. He must see that the new way will bring forth the fruit that he wants, and this will make it worth the effort to take the time, trouble, and sacrifice of the "comforts of home" to change direction.

50. I do this with many of My people. Many of My people—those who are yielded, that is‚ who submit their lives to My will—I tear down and strip naked of the way they were, and I use their spirits as building blocks of the new way. But it's not easy to get stripped down. It often not only hurts those who are being stripped, but it's also cold, you're not used to it, it's not comfortable for you.

51. What is "comfort?" It's relaxation, rest, cessation of energy output. Energy output costs. What does it cost you? It costs you comfort, rest, and relaxation, which you'd normally much rather have.

52. It must become a priority. You must understand that it's necessary; otherwise you will not naturally leave the comfort of the way you are. For it's easy to be the way you are. It takes no thinking to react that way. You've got it down pat. You've memorized it and you can put your system into automatic pilot and just coast along the way you've trained your body and spirit to go. But to change means you have to get back in the driver's seat. You have to grab that steering wheel and you have to actually fight against the motion and direction you're going.

53. It takes energy! It takes work! It's not easy, because you have to get involved and expend energy. And man‚ being the way he is, will not do that voluntarily unless there is a reason, and that reason has to be a good one—one that outmotivates the nature of man to generally be lazy, to seek comfort, rest, relaxation and a surcease of work. Only when you understand that this change is direly important‚ and in fact integral—that is, absolutely necessary—and that either your way of life as you now live will end or that you will not accomplish the goal that you desire, will you have the motivation that is needed to make a long-lasting change.

54. Long–lasting change is possible. It's just that people are so set in their ways that it takes the crowbar of motivation to get them to make the change. However, once man realizes that stability and a lack of motion are not the goals of life; once man understands this principle that continual change is necessary to bring about My final goals; once man gives up his inherent nature to continue as he has been and offers himself on the altar of sacrifice for Me, so I can direct him as he should be; once man asks Me to instill in him My nature—then it is poss­ible to go from mountain peak to mountain peak of change, to seek My face continually‚ and to continually leave the old behind.

55. This is why I say that if any man be in Me, he is a new creature. Why? Because he has made the effort to not yield to his own nature and has instead endeavored to "put on Christ," as Paul so aptly put it. If you seek My nature, you will find Me waiting for you at many bends‚ at many turns in the road, wooing you to make this turn, to make that bend, to become more like this, to do what I would do. This is not natural with man, but it is natural with Me. It's natural for Me to be bending, changing, yielding‚ wooing, winning, loving, flowing‚ going step by step according to the circumstances, finding the best path through change.

56. My nature is to change. Though I may change many other things, I change not this aspect of My nature. I am the God of the universe, the God of the Heavens‚ and the God of the Earth. I am also your Friend, Lover, and Companion. My delights are with you. And thus I love to woo you and to win you—to win you to My ways‚ to woo you from your natural ways, which are sinful, in that they fall short of My mark, because your ways cannot attain to My ways in your own efforts. But if you seek Me, you will find Me, and if you put yourself in My arms—that is, resting on My strength and relying on My power and energy—I am then able to enter you and to pick you up and to cause you to go My direction, and I can begin to have My nature live through you—through your body and spirit.

57. I am the unseen God, but I am seen in you. I am also seen in My creation, but I have made it so that My habitation place is in you, for you are My temple, where I have chosen to dwell. Do you find this strange? It's because I love you. I've made you in My likeness and image. I've created you to be Mine. I've chosen to dwell with you. Therefore your happiness is found in the path of yielding to My Spirit, yielding to My ways, sacrificing your own nature and your own natural ways of doing things, and yielding to My ways.

58. But in order for you to do this, you must see that My ways are better than your ways; that it is more important to stop and help that person on the road to Jericho than it is to pass by him because of your own self–interest. You must simply be convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that My ways are the way you want to be. If you're not convinced of this, you will naturally gravitate to your own ways, your own comfort‚ and your own self-satisfaction. But if you've seen that I am the way‚ the truth, and the life, and you truly believe this‚ then you'll know that your happiness lies in becoming what I want to make you and partaking of My Spirit to the point that you allow it to change you.

59. I am the Life. Your life on Earth is but a vapor, but My Life is forever, from generation to generation, throughout eternity. I always Am. I Am Who I Am. If you see this and believe it‚ then you will seek to make the changes in your lifestyle that will let Me do what I want through you, to let My nature live in you. This is not natural—it's supernatural. But you must be willing to give up what you have to have Me. For I will fill every place that you desert, and every piece of ground of your spirit and your heart that you give to Me, I will gladly take and come in and inhabit for you, making you more like Me.

60. How do you do this? It's simple! When you want to do something that satisfies you, and you see that I want you to do something different, or something that satisfies your brother or sister or someone else instead, then yield and let Me have My way. As you do this, My nature will become a part of you and I will start to move, act, and live in you. This is My desire—to live in you—but you must let Me, and you must let My ways live in you. The choice is yours.

61. Remember, there is a way which seem­eth right unto a man, but only with My counsel can you choose the proper way, for I am the way, the truth and the life, and he who follows therein shall receive a hundred­fold in this life, and in the world to come, life everlasting. For he who is not ashamed of Me and My ways‚ I will honor when he comes before Me in the world to come, which is not far away. And he who sacrifices now to grab onto that which is most important—that is, My ways—will be put on a path to life that will never die or be destroyed, but will stretch out into eternity.

62. How much wiser to plant your feet on that path now, for more blessed are they that don't see, yet believe. When you get to Heaven, it will be easy to put your feet on that path, for it will be obvious that that's the way to life and happiness, to peace and fulfillment, to all the fruits of My Spirit that make you happy. But now, in this life on Earth, you see only by faith through a glass darkly. How much better to plant your feet on that path of change now, for by so doing you will have shown yourselves as My friends‚ walking the same path that I walked while I was on Earth, and for this your rewards will stretch out into eternity.

63. They that honor Me now, I will honor before My Father and the angels of Heaven, and they will sit in My throne with Me. As much as you have honored Me on Earth by following in the path that I lead, so much more will I honor you when you appear before Me in person in My Home.

64. So come, join Me now on the path of life‚ the path of change, the path of sacrifice, and grow, and become the person, the habitation of My Spirit that I want you to be, where I can dwell with you and we can walk this path together. (End of message from Jesus)

Overcoming Inertia!

65. (Spirit helper speaking:) The dynamics of change are simple: to get an object moving when it is at rest, a force must be applied to it that is stronger than the force that is keeping it at rest. Inertia must be overcome by a stronger force. Otherwise the body at rest will remain at rest‚ and the body in motion will only continue going in the direction in which it is moving.

66. So if you feel you are standing still, or that you are going at a slow pace‚ or that you are not changing as much as the Lord wants you to change, what do you do?

67. You have to find that force that will push you, drive you along‚ motivate you, and cause a change in your forward movement. Lots of things will do this. Here are a few, and the Lord can give you more personalized counsel if you ask Him:

1. Find people who are going the way you want to go and hang around with them. Stick with them, and they will help you go where you want to go. In other words, choose your friends‚ your peer group, and discuss and decide together how you can make this change. This will provide a good push and support in the right direction. These discussions can be held in public, in a teamwork meeting, or, depending on the change needed, in private, in confidential discussions.
2. Next, look for specific points and tips in the Word that show you how you can make this change. Study change itself, or find how-tos on the specific area you want to change in. One way to do this is with a concordance. For example, if you know you need more Word time and you feel the Lord wants you to have it in the morning, look up "morning" in the con­cordance to find what the Bible says about seeking the Lord in the morning. You can do the same thing with your indexes to the Letters and pubs, or with the Home Arc. Look up Letters on Word time and quiet time, its importance and how to get it. Look up testimonies in FSMs that will give you tips. Research the topic in the Word. This will be tremendously motivating and will give you some­­thing concrete to go on.
3. Ask for united prayer for this change to occur. Then you have all of Heaven—God, Jesus, the angels and spirit ­helpers—fighting for you to make this change. And the people on Earth that you live around will also know of it‚ and they will help you and support you in it.
4. Pray daily for this change to occur in your life. Make a list of prayer requests concerning areas you would like to change in, and then at a later date note when these things became habits.
5. Continually thank and praise the Lord for the help He is being to you as you strive to make this change. Acknowledge His inter­vention and keep on praising Him, even though you fail and don't make it sometimes.
6. When you do fail in acting according to the change you know the Lord wants you to make, take it to Him immediately, ask His forgiveness, and claim 1John 1:9—that the Lord will make you anew each time you confess your failing.
7. Depend on the Lord (in your heart) and not on your own strength or your ability to make this change by yourself.
8. And finally‚ keep trusting, believing, and obeying, knowing that as He led you to change, He will do it. Claim verses that increase your faith in His ability to change you, like "Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it‚" and "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure," and the one where the Lord says, "I will perfect that which concerneth thee." Then there's the one that says, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." And a real good one is, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

68. Remember that the Lord can continually make you anew. It didn't happen just once when you were saved, but He keeps on remaking, retooling and rewiring you, so that you will continually be upgraded‚ with new components, new parts‚ new innovations. And He knows that they will work! He's continually working on His creation—you—so that you will continue to be the best possible tool you can be. All you have to do is present yourself to Him and say, "Here am I, Lord! Change me!" and He will be faithful to do it. Just let Him have His way‚ and don't argue, because He knows best. He'll do it as much as you'll let Him.

I love you! Bye for now.

Love,

A spiritual being in Heaven‚ who is also constantly being changed and recharged, for the perfecting of His Heavenly Kingdom. (End of message.)

69. (Mama:) Thank You‚ our wonderful Husband, for all that encouragement that it is possible—and not only is it possible, but You're promising to do all You can to help us. All we have to do is our part—which is not easy, but it's sure easier than trying to change by ourselves, which is impossible!

Put Your Will on His Side

And Trust Him!

70. To end with, here's some more encour­age­­ment, along with some specific pointers on what is necessary in order to bring about change.

71. We prayed: Lord, we need as much encourage­ment from You as possible about how it is possible to change‚ no matter what our age or how long we've been in a particular position. Even if someone is very set in their ways, You've told us that it is possible to change. But we need to know the following:

72. What is our part? What do we have to do or what does our attitude need to be to secure that change from You and hold on to it?

73. We have to know that You want us to change. We have to be convinced that we need to change. And we have to be willing to do what­ever is necessary to change. But can You please elaborate on these and any other points that would encourage our faith that change is poss­ible, and that would show us how to change and how to avoid slipping back into old ruts and habits?

74. (Jesus speaking:) I've made it so that change is hard on your human nature‚ because this causes you to be desperate. Then when you are desperate, you handle change much better‚ because you are more open to Me and My Spirit.

75. The key to being able to change is faith. If you can trust Me that I know what I'm doing, if you can trust that everything is going to work out well; if you can believe it when I say things will get better; if you can have faith enough to obey what I tell you, then you will change in the ways I want you to. Whereas if there is any resistance because you think you know better, or because you don't feel that a certain change is necessary, because you don't fully agree with it or have the faith to follow My lead, then clearly you won't be able to change.

76. I am the only one Who can change you, but I am unable to do so without your will on My side. It's a 50/50 deal. Fortunately for you‚ it's really more of a 20/80 deal, because the effort you have to expend to yield and agree to change is far less than the miracle energy I have to put to use to help you actually change. But that's not a problem for Me, because after all, I am omnipotent and the God of all. So you can lay all the heavy work on Me. But as powerful as I am, I can't do it all without you pitching in, without you signing on the dotted line, without you determining you want to do it.

77. If you don't understand why you need to change or why a particular change is the right one‚ that's when the trust factor comes in. I don't expect you to take it all blindly by faith, though. I am more than willing to give you explanations and to help you understand why I am asking a certain thing of you. You have to have faith, however, to receive such messages from Me; and then you have to have the faith to accept them and choose to believe them and go ahead with what I have shown you. If you take these steps of faith and fight to change, rest assured that I will reward you. I will reward you by helping you understand the need for the change‚ as well as by giving you the grace to actually make the leap—and I can make it easy for you, that's a natural side effect when you fully trust Me. You might even enjoy it! (End of message from Jesus.)