Keys to Victory series

By MariaMaria #568 CM/FM 3347 4/01

Dear Family,

1. I love you so much‚ and Peter and I keep you in our daily prayers. As you read recently in GN 934 (ML #3338:52), we prepared some booklets of material for the CROs to read during their personal devotions and quiet time at the summit. The booklets were composed of excerpts of their personal prophecies‚ as well as messages we received from the Lord on various aspects or lessons of leadership, or in answer to questions that had come up in their reports. We want to share some of those messages with you in this series of Keys to Victory GNs, which we'll call "Leader­ship Lessons." We're also working on a compilation of excerpts of the CROs' personal prophecies with some good counsel and inspiring messages, which we hope to get to you soon.

2. Most of the messages in this series are in some way directed to leadership, or tied in to the responsibilities of a shepherd. But when we were praying about how to best share this counsel with you, the Lord said:

3. (Jesus speaking: ) I'm calling each of My children of David to be a shepherd to some ­degree. I've made that clear in the call and direction I've put forth—both with the Activated ­vision and expanding your sheepfolds, your membership, as well as through­out your history. I've long been preparing you for the day when you will be the leaders of My Endtime children, teaching and instruct­ing many. Those days are now fast approaching, and it's time for every Family member to realize the responsibility that will soon be upon them.

4. Up until this time it has seemed afar off to many. Those days have seemed distant, especially when they have looked around at the meager responsi­bilities they carried in the flesh, compared to some others. But with the era of action will come much change in the way you see yourselves as a Family. You will no longer be communities of followers, with one or two or three obvious leaders or shepherds. Each of you will be called upon to shepherd, to step forth, to claim your responsibility as one of My leaders who has been prepared for years for this ministry and calling. You will be called upon to give from the store­houses that I have blessed you with. You will be called to be examples, both in your public lives and in your private lives.

5. These lessons, in essence, are for each Family member. For each Family member is called, or will soon be called, to take up the torch and responsibility of leadership. (End of mess­age from Jesus.)

6. (Mama:) Obviously, there are parts of this series that will apply more directly to your life or situation than will others, depending on your par­ticular responsibilities or who you're shepherding. But please pray that you can get all you can from this valuable counsel the Lord gave for your top leadership, as the Lord said that much of it applies—or will yet apply—to you as well.

7. In this GN are the messages the Lord gave on the importance of our time with Him. This was the main lesson and spiritual thread of the summit‚ and when praying about these GNs and which topics to get out to you first, the Lord said‚ "The first priority is time with Me. If that is given the proper attention and emphasis, everything else falls into place. Start with the messages on that topic, and then go on from there. Even though some of the other material is newer, or less has been published about it, time with Me is still the most important, and is the foundation for all else."

8. So even if some of this doesn't sound like very "new" material to you, He wouldn't be asking us to publish more on this topic—taking our time preparing it, and the expense of printing and shipping it to you—if He didn't know that it was important and necessary, and that we need to still make more progress in this area. So please take it as such, and I believe you'll be challenged to do whatever is necessary to make this a priority in your life once again.

9. We've left the questions that we asked the Lord and the messages He gave in response pretty much as they were given, without a lot of added commentary or explanation. Please note that these don't cover every aspect of every possible scenario‚ so if something's not clear or you have more questions‚ don't hesitate to ask our terrific Answer Man for more! He's always obliging and happy you asked, and will help to clarify things or give you the personalized application for your situation. I love you!

The Lord's Ultimatum

10. This first message was given for our dear, precious, hard-working CROs, and we read it during the keynote meeting of the summit. The Lord showed us to share it with you for several reasons:

11. Number 1: The spiritual principles apply to you as well; the counsel is sound whether you're in leadership or not. Even though it's directed to the CROs and some specifics might not be the same for you, ask the Lord to help you apply it to your life, responsibilities, and ministry.

12. Number 2: The Lord is calling each Family member to prepare to become a shepherd. That means that the counsel the Lord gives in this message about how the CROs' sample affects the Family overall applies to each of you as well. Your sample affects your flocks, or will affect the flocks the Lord is preparing to give you.

13. Number 3: Hearing the ultimatum the Lord has given the CROs should make you pray for them, and do all you can to make it easy for them to be good by being respectful of their time with the Lord, not interrupting them during their conference days, etc. If you have a problem that you want them to help you with, but it's something that you haven't yet taken to the Lord‚ do that first. See what He has to say, and then if you still need to talk to your CROs, you can share with them what the Lord has already told you. That will lighten their load considerably when they know you're taking your problems to our Husband and letting Him help you carry them. They won't be tempted to take them on themselves in order to relieve you.

14. Number 4: In this message the Lord talks to the CROs about how many of them had lost the joy of their salvation. We asked the Lord if that applied to the Family overall as well, and here's what He said.

15. "Many of My beloved brides have lost the joy of their salvation. It's something that not many people want to admit—they feel condemned and humiliated that they feel this way, and they wonder if they're the only one. Some of the older ones wonder if it's because they've reached the end of their steam, the end of their usefulness, or if it's a condition that comes with the slowing down of the body as you get older. Many of the younger ones have accepted it as just a way of life, and many wonder if they'll be able to keep going and doing the same thing day after day.

16. "It's something that I want to free My children from! The joy of their salvation is a right‚ a blessing that I've ordained for them to have‚ part of their reward for following Me! I'm furious at the Enemy for his plan by which he has stolen it away from My children, and I wish to give it back in full measure! Each one should read this message as if it were given for them, because it is indeed for them. While there might be small details that are different in every situation, this overall message, this plea, this ultimatum, is for each of My dear brides.

17. "I want each of them to reach their full potential. I want each of them to go on to serve Me to the greatest capacity and enjoy the greatest usefulness possible. I want each of them to be fully happy in Me. This message will be a turning point. This message holds the keys to victory!" (End of message from Jesus)

18. Number 5: Pray and ask the Lord for your own ultimatum. Ask Him, "What will happen if I'm not faithful to take my time with You?" His answer will surely be motivating, and will help you give this time the priority that it deserves.

nI know what you're going through

19. (Jesus speaking:) My darling loves, My generals and faithful warriors, I love you, I appreciate you, and I need you. I know the hardship you have borne over the long term. I feel the heartache you have felt at seeing your plans and desired progress frustrated and thwarted and not moving forward as you have wished. I've been touched with the physical afflictions you have endured, which are often a direct result of the load you carry, with all the stress, worry, concern and physical sacrifices that come with it. I'm not a stranger to the personal discouragement and even despair that you've felt‚ as you view yourself as so incapable of meeting the great demands before you. I understand the times you've nearly collapsed under the weight of your enormous to-do list‚ wondering if maybe it would be better for you, your family, and every­one if you were to just resign.

20. I realize that you feel embarrassed and ashamed that you don't use the new weapons more, that you don't love Me intimately more, that you don't ask Me everything as much as you should. I understand that feeling of falling short in your personal sample. I have felt your anguish of heart when you've looked around you at the overwhelming problems in the Family and felt it was impossible. You felt horrible for your lack of faith, but there just seemed no end to the troubles, and no solutions in sight.

21. What a job, the job of a CRO. You are all saints in that you have been willing to accept and endure such a job. What could poss­ibly motivate you to do that? What could make you want to live such a life of sacrifice, where you get so little credit for the good or the prog­ress, and yet nearly all the blame for the bad or the mistakes? What could possibly cause you to look deep within you for the strength and endurance to keep going for so long under such a weight and such pressure? It is love that compels you to do it—love for Me, your brethren, and the lost of the world!

22. I know that each day you give to the limit, you pour out all that's within you. You try your very hardest to get as much done as you can. You weep when you hear of the problems of the sheep, and it pushes you to work hard for their sakes.

23. I am intimately involved in each of your lives, and I know what you're going through. I see it. I feel it. It hurts Me to see you so burdened, so sad. While I admire you for your willingness and unselfishness, at the same time I weep for you. Deep within Myself I grieve for you, My loves, for I know that it's too much to bear, too heavy a load. I know you've lost your joy, and your lives have become drudgery. It's just so much work. Work, work, work, every hour, every day, until there's so little of anything else—so little laughter, so little time with the babes and the children, so little time singing and dancing, so little time in My creation, so little time just loving and enjoying Me.

nYou've become Marthas

24. Where did it all go—the joy, the simplicity, the happiness in knowing Me? Have you stopped recently to reflect on that? What changed in your life? It used to all be so exciting. The Word was a source of constant fascina­tion. You loved witnessing. Each day you woke with a song on your lips. There were so many little miracles. The supply of your needs was a continual manifestation of My love for you. There were new adventures, interesting things to learn, great people to talk to, and life was fun. Serving Me was a constant thrill. What happened?

25. All that I just described to you is part of what I refer to as "the joy of your salvation." Those people who know Me and are saved are the most blessed people on Earth. And you, the children of David‚ are the most blessed of the blessed—for not only are you saved and you know it, but you are also rich in spirit because of My truth and revelations, and in having a purpose in living. There's no one on Earth as blessed as you‚ as privileged, or as rich. What a calling, what a vocation, what an honor!

26. But in spite of that, most of you know that something is missing in your life. You hear these words and you're pricked in your conscience. You feel ashamed because you know you haven't been feeling this way or even been aware of this perspective. You've gotten so far away from this simple vision and reality. It seems like a dream, almost childlike or surreal. I will tell you why.

27. My darling loves, as much as you have meant well, as much as you have had the right motives and served Me with unselfishness and sincerity, there is one thing that you're not seeing or not accepting. This is a serious problem. For the most part, you have not chosen that good thing that will not be taken away. You have become Marthas—very faithful, diligent, concerned and caring Marthas, but Marthas nonetheless. You are cumbered about with so much service, so much work and labor. It hurts Me to have to say this, because I know you've meant well and you've truly wanted to do your best. I know it seems impossible for you to have done anything differently. For that reason‚ this chiding might seem unfair‚ and you might even feel a bit resentful or upset. I understand.

nI don't hold the past against you

28. In pointing this out to you‚ I'm not minimizing your desire to do the right thing. I know why you've done what you have. So do the king and queen. They know you love Me and the Family and that you want people to be happy, to have their needs met. You want the Service Homes to provide the best service possible. You want the Activated desks to get off the ground. You want to care for the security of the Family. You want to provide the training and encouragement the young people need. And those are only a few of the reasons why you've served as you have. For this reason, trust Me when I say I don't condemn you for your Martha-ism, for your many works‚ for the effort you've put forth. I appreciate it, and I give credit where credit is due.

29. I applaud you for your unselfishness! I honor you for your endurance and perseverance under very difficult conditions!

30. I speak not to condemn you, or even to make you feel bad. My intent, My loves, is only to make things better for you—better for your families and better for the flocks you care for. That is My goal. The way I look at it is, this is a new beginning. I'm not holding the past against you. I'm looking at today and at the future. I'm not thinking of the past, but of your needs today and where we're headed.

31. If it's easier for you to not feel sensitive or condemned, you can even look at this little talk as a logistical meeting, a business meeting where we're exploring the most effective plan for the future. When a company or organization does that at their year-end board meeting, they don't spend a lot of time rehashing the mistakes of the past. They acknowledge them, and then they quickly turn their sights to the future. They realize there's nothing that can be done about the past, so why worry about it?

32. Let's learn from the past, and then forget it. Let's just look at the future. I want you to know what to expect in the months and years to come. I want you to know what you can expect of Me and what I expect of you. Fair enough?

nYou will always have too much to do

33. With the implementation of the board vision, your lives will be different. The ultimate goals of the board vision are to raise up more leadership, share the load of authority and decision-making, service the Family better by generating more ideas, and provide a means by which those ideas can be prayed about and eventually made a reality. Eventually you CROs will find that your lives are simpler and your vision is more focused on those portfolios in which you're gifted and experienced. Eventually your load will be lighter.

34. All of that will take time. It's not like you're going to leave the summit and "presto change-o," you're not getting as many messages, or having to counsel as many people, or attend as many meetings‚ or travel as much. Yes, the goal is to make life easier for you‚ and that should and will happen. But it might not happen to the point that you'll feel so much different, at least not right way.

35. Having said that, I want to explain something that is key. You must understand this principle if you're to make the change needed in your life: You will always have too much to do. Even after the board vision is fully functioning, you will still have too much to do. That might sound quite disappointing to you, or even like the board vision is lacking in some way. But the truth of the matter is that I purposely allow you to have too much to do. That's part of My plan, and it's for a very definite, express purpose.

36. Your having too much to do should force you to come to Me, to depend on Me. I want to carry your load. I want to work with you. I want to be your primary Teamworker. If your load were so manageable for you, if it weren't absolutely overwhelming and crushing‚ then you'd carry it on your own‚ thinking, "I can handle this." So I'm forced to keep the pressure on, to keep you under the weight of the burden in hopes that you'll cry out to Me and let Me carry it. This will not change even with the implementation of the boards.

nYour work must be founded on the spiritual

37. Besides the fact that I want to work with you and be close to you, helping you on a daily basis‚ there is another reason why I make your load in the physical more than you can bear. It's because your work for Me, the Family's work for Me‚ is a spiritual matter. Your efforts and works must be founded primarily upon the spiritual. As you well know, you wrestle not against flesh and blood‚ but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual wicked­ness in high places. Greater am I that am in you than he that is in the world.

38. No matter how much training‚ expertise, wisdom or initiative you or your co-workers have, that alone will never be enough. Never! Even your best efforts, your hardest work, your greatest teamworking and pumping people power will never be enough. Only I can make up the difference.

39. You must have My miracle-working power, otherwise everything you do will fall short. This is the crux of the matter. If you can just understand this point, then I believe you'll never stray down that path of Martha again.

40. What that means is, no matter how hard you work, no matter how many messages you write or how many meetings you host, it will never be enough‚ because it's the dynamics of the spirit world that My work must be done first and foremost in the spirit—through spending time with Me in the Word and prayer. I know you know this in principle; you've read it hundreds of times. But the full truth of this has failed to sink deep within your heart. The reality of My power and your need for it has not taken hold in your mind to the point that it governs your priorities‚ decisions, and mindset.

nLet Me work for you!

41. Be honest with yourselves. If you truly understood this concept and accepted it fully in your heart, do you think you'd be missing your Word time, skipping your prayer vigils, and regularly postponing or cutting short your conference days? Step back and examine yourselves. Look at the way you operate. What do you see?

42. I'll tell you what I see. There are multitudes who need to be reached with My mess­age. There are countless disciples to be won. There's a hungry and bleating flock already within the folds. There are ravenous wolves attacking and trying to maim and kill the lambs. There are harvesting tools to be made and implemented. And there you stand with your little tools in hand, ready to go to work. You're determined and dedicated, and you're looking around seeing which direction to move first. Of course, it's overwhelming, as each and every need would be a full-time job. So you dash around, a little here and a little there. Your tools are very tiny and outdated, so you get your hands all scratched up and your clothes torn. By the end of the day you're exhausted‚ dirty, and sad. The next day it begins again.

43. All the while I'm standing right behind you—Me with My team of angelic helpers and spirit beings who tower above you like giants—and we're trying to get your attention. We're waving and shouting and whistling! We have huge modern technology in our hands, tools that you've never seen. If you'd just ask‚ we're ready to operate our tools on your behalf, which would make your work much easier. But alas, you keep running around here and there, saying, "I'll be right with You. Just a minute. I just have to take care of this one thing, and then this other, and then this other. Ahhh … just one second. Really, I'm almost done."

44. Every once in a while you collapse, and then you call on Me and My team, and we're so happy! Finally we're able to step in and do the work for you. But then‚ as soon as you feel you've recouped a tiny bit of strength, you're up and at it again. "Oh, excuse me," you say, as you push your way to the front. "Uhhh, I need to get to work. Could You move over a little? Let me see, now where was I?" And there you go again. Same story, over and over.

45. If you could see it from My point of view, you'd see that it's really ridiculous! You are merely weak men and women. I am the God of the Universe. All power is given to Me. I rule! I keep My promises. I am a faithful, doting Husband, and yet there's so little room for Me in your lives.

46. You know what that is? It's self-righteous­­ness. It's thinking too highly of yourselves. It's the epitome of the arm of the flesh. Anything and everything that you could ever do is minute, weak and pathetic compared to what I can do. I can do anything! I can do everything! When you really think about it‚ what can you do?

47. This is My work, My Family, My flock, My harvest field, My tools‚ and I am the Boss! This is something I want to get straightened out once and for all. If you want to work for Me, if you want to be an example to the flock, if you want to be in leadership‚ there are rules, and the first one on the list is to let Me work! The way you do that is by letting Me into your lives fully. Instead of thinking the world will fall apart if you don't rush into the day answering your mail messages, instead of working late into the night trying to finish up that last file, instead of all those long, draining meetings, instead of rushing around here and there to tie up every loose end in sight—call on Me. Let Me work for you! Let Me do it! Because don't you get it?—Only I can!

48. I want to see your priorities change. I want that time with you in My Word every single day. I want to speak to you in prophecy every single day! I want to give you answers as you meditate in prayer every single day. I want you to lay hold of My miracle-working power through intercessory prayer every single day. You either do that or you're fired!

49. Sorry, but we need to be clear here. I'm the Boss. It's My company. Those are the rules. It has to be that way, and the reason it has to be that way is because otherwise you'll fail, and the Family will fail. It's as simple as that. There's too much for you as a human to do. The load is and will always be too big. The battle is waged in the spirit, not in the physical world. You must have My miracle-working power.

nYou could have taken more time with Me

50. I've spoken to many of you personally on this subject in your prayer times with Me. I've exposed your pride and self-righteousness to you privately. I've held your convicted hearts in My hands, and now, with this message, I'm giving you the answer. You can't blame others—not your teamwork‚ your Home members, or the king and queen. No matter what the circumstances were that you faced over the last months or years‚ you could have come to Me. You could have taken the time. You could have cast your burdens on Me. You could have cried out to Me to do what you couldn't do. You could have shown yourself weak to your mate, teamwork, Home and field. You could have done it. You could have solicited My power.

51. If you had done so more, you would have seen miracles. You would have released the power of Heaven on your behalf. Things would be different today.

52. Of course, it's not that you never prayed or sought Me. You did. Sometimes you did so more faithfully than other times. But again, it was often not too long before most of you muscled your way up to the front again, pushing Me and your spirit helpers aside, so you could go to work. You failed to avail yourself of My power fully, because you refused to show yourself fully dependent upon Me. You chose instead to do it yourself, to work hard, to push and cram.

53. That's why you're so tired, so burned out‚ so sad. Your sample trickles down‚ and the loss is cumulative. When others don't see you spend the time you need to with Me; when they don't see you commit your needs to Me, expecting miracles; when there's a lack of intercessory prayer—then that affects their habits as well. I know that's a terrible weight of responsibility, but it's sad but true that most people look more at the sample of their leaders and shepherds than at what's written in the Word. I wish I could free you from that burden, but it's the nature of man to follow man and what they can see, rather than what's invisible or known only in theory.

54. I know your hearts and I know that your greatest desire is to please Me. Again, I acknowledge that what you've done, you've done with good motives. For this reason, I beg you, My darlings, to not allow the Enemy of your soul to come in with lies‚ condemnation, and remorse. Forget the past. Let's just learn the lesson and go on. Look at the future. This is a new day, and there are miracles to come!

nRemember this

55. If you don't remember anything else from this whole summit, remember these things:

—There will always be more than you can humanly do. I allow that so you will need Me.

—No matter how hard you work, it will never be enough.

—You must have My miracle–working power through the spirit and prayer. Anything else will fall short and will fail.

—I am the Boss.

—I want time with you every day—in My Word, hearing My voice in prophecy, in quiet rest and meditation, and in intercessory prayer. If you do these things‚ you will gain and move forward in great leaps and bounds. If you don't‚ you will see a great loss.

—Your sample affects others individually and your field overall.

56. If you will take up the challenge to change, My loves, you will see a change—in your spirits, your personal happiness, your relationships, and the fruitfulness of your Homes and fields. I want to make life easy for you. I want to free you from the addictions to stress and overwork. I want you to be happy and inspired. I want others to see Me in you.

57. I know you can do it, but it will take building new habits. Work together. Help each other. Start today! Make it all worthwhile—all the sacrifices and hard work of the past—by letting Me finish the job! I love you and need you. I know you won't let Me down or push Me away again. You won't be disappointed! Your Lover and doting Husband, Jesus. (End of mess­age from Jesus.)

58. (Mama:) In that message‚ you probably noticed that the Lord places a good deal of responsibility on the CROs and strongly corrects them for their lack of faithfulness to take time with Him‚ to take things to Him, to let Him work. He even goes so far as to say that things would be different in the Family today if they had. I was concerned about publishing that for you, because it's a natural human tendency to try to blame your problems on someone else, especially if you're having a rough go of things, or you have any bitterness or resentment in your heart to begin with. It's so much easier to blame someone else than it is to take the responsibility yourself for the situation you're in, and then work to correct it. I asked the Lord about it, and He answered with two very important points, which I'll summarize below. Please pay great attention to these, and whenever you remember the Lord's scolding to the CROs, remember these along with it:

59. 1) Every Family member has had the Word. Even if your leadership haven't been as faithful to take time with the Lord as they should have, and thus have not been the sample to you of dependence on the Lord that they should have been, you still could have obeyed the Word yourself and worked to make that a strong point in your own life and in your Home. It wouldn't have been as easy as following an example that you could see, but you're just as accountable—you could have done it. The Lord holds you respon­sible and accountable for the way things are going in your Home right now. You have the Word and a connection to the Lord, and you can get the answers and help you need.

60. 2) He wants to make it very clear that as each Family member takes on more responsibility with the board structure and the broadening of our Family membership to include other categories of members who will need shepherding from you, this is the point He holds you most accountable for. He said, "I want them to realize that they will be shepherds, and if they fail in this one area, they are failing in many ­areas. I want them to see how much responsibility and accountability rests on this one point. I want them to see how important I consider this one aspect of their lives. Above all, I require that they take the time with Me that is necessary‚ I require that they learn to operate more in the spirit, if they are to be one of My leaders." (End of message from Jesus)

61. That makes it pretty clear, doesn't it? So, in review, please don't blame the CROs for your prob­lems. Even though the Lord places some responsibility on them, He also puts it right back on you by telling you that you've had the Word and you could have done it too. He holds you accountable for your Home and your personal life. And secondly‚ remember how import­ant the Lord considers this one point as you grow into being more of a shepherd to the flock the Lord has given you or will give you, or as you work within the board structure.

The Starting Point …

62. (Jesus speaking:) The natural tendency of man is to apply general counsel very mildly, without realizing the full extent that it applies to himself. That's nothing to be ashamed of; it's natural. The danger comes if you never realize how much you personally need the counsel‚ because then it won't take root in your life as it needs to, and you won't benefit and change as you need to. Without taking time to ask Me and get full and frequent messages regarding your own human weaknesses and the spiritual principles for overcoming them that I bring out in My Word, it's not possible to understand and apply My counsel fully. But when you let the printed Word be your starting point and you re­ceive My tailor–made messages, and frequently, then you stay in touch with My detailed instruction for you on a daily basis. (End of message from Jesus)

A Feast Set Before Us!

63. (Mama:) The Lord wants to give us every­thing. He's standing there waiting to give us all the blessings that He can load us up with. He's not asking us to communicate with Him to be cruel to us, but He's actually giving us a gift, and all we have to do is take this wonderful, restful sweet time with Him. It's the best time of the day we could possibly have, and in exchange we get everything!

64. This next message is very interesting, and a beautiful word picture. You might notice that most of the foods that the Lord mentions are Western foods. This was a personal mess­age received by a channel who was raised in the U.S.‚ and these happen to be some of her favorite foods. But if each of you open your channel to the Lord as you read this, He can help you substitute the foods that you crave and enjoy the most, according to where you were raised or your particular likes and dislikes. Enjoy!

65. (Jesus speaking: ) Think about how you enjoy a good meal. Picture a banquet table spread with all the things you like the most—and it's an all-you-can-eat buffet! First there are the ­salads, with all the little things you like to put on them, like mushrooms, diced beets, seeds, croutons, and spicy dressing.

66. Then there are delicately cooked vegetables with just the right seasoning so they have flavor and texture: glazed carrots, little peas, squash that melts in your mouth, green beans with slivered almonds.

67. Then picture the spread of pastas and potatoes—all prepared in a different way‚ delightful and tasty. It makes your mouth water to even look at it.

68. Then for the meat there's chicken—both fried and cooked in mushroom sauce—both your favorites. Then there's tender roast beef with nice juicy gravy, and lamb with mint sauce. There are little slices of salmon, if that's your fancy‚ or little round meatballs that taste great with tomato sauce. In fact, it seems that ­whatever you want and need appears before your eyes.

69. Then there's the all-you-can-eat dessert section! There's your favorite—chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge oozing all over it. Or you can have Birne Helene—pears with chocolate sauce. There are meringue pies, or German chocolate cake made with coco­nut and spices, or tiramisu, another one of your favorites. There are light and heavy desserts—anything you like!

70. And to drink, there's a whole table of champagne, or rich red wine‚ or light white, what­ever you like, and rich cappuccino coffee to finish everything off.

71. Imagine that you're very hungry—so hungry that you're shaking. Your mouth feels dry, your tummy has that ache in it, and you really need food. And this is not only food‚ but it's the best food you've ever seen! It will not only satiate your appetite‚ but it will taste just wonderful and be a real treat to eat. You'll have such an enjoyable time eating it. It will be a ­special occasion, and you'll wish that you could keep eating and eating until you were so full that you passed out and fell off your chair!

72. But, unfortunately and sadly, what you do when you see this magnificent spread is refuse to eat it. You turn away and go and sit down in the corner‚ your tummy aching with hunger and your mouth watering at the sight and smell of the food. You say, "Well, it takes too much time to decide what to eat. I don't know what to choose, and anyway, it will take too long to eat it. It might take a half-hour, or 45 minutes, or even an hour. And what if, even if I pick what I think is what I want, it turns out that it doesn't taste like I thought it would? Oh, it may be good, but it may not be what I expected. And what if I eat too much‚ so that I just can't do anything the rest of the evening because I'm so full and still thinking about the food?

73. "Or what if I eat it and eat it and eat it, and then I'm not good for anything else? Or what if people look at me and say‚ 'Look at her! She really likes the food! That's odd!' I don't want people to think I'm odd because I like the food.

74. "But the main reason I'm not eating it is because I just don't know what to pick, and it takes too long to eat it. Sure, I'm hungry, and sure, it looks great, and of course I'd enjoy it. But it's just too much work. Maybe if someone made me a plate and brought it to me, I would eat it. But then again, maybe that plate wouldn't be exactly what I want, and then I'd be disappointed. So because it's too much work, I'll just sit here.

75. "But it sure does look good! Wow‚ those are some of my favorites, and those people sitting over there sure are enjoying their meal. Look at them, they're eating and drinking and having a great time. They look so full, so happy, so content. Maybe I should eat and drink some too. But no‚ it's just too much work. And maybe I'll pick the wrong thing, or maybe even the good things won't be what I like or what I expected. So I'll just sit here and let everyone else enjoy it, and maybe they can tell me what it's like. Maybe I can just enjoy them telling me about it."

76. Wouldn't that be ridiculous? Here I prepare wonderful, delicious, tasty, interesting, enticing and satisfying meals for you—meals that will meet all your needs—and you don't take the time or the energy or the effort to eat them. It's really a shame.

77. Won't you come and try My cooking? Won't you see what I've fixed for you? I have some delectable surprises! Everyone likes My food—at least everyone who's ever tried it for any length of time! I'm the Master Chef, and My restaurant has all the best dishes, all the best presentation‚ the best wine and desserts‚ the best atmosphere, and all that you need for a won­derful meal and a wonderful evening at the dinner table. And I'll even sit down and eat it with you! You'll have My company and we'll eat and drink and love together. It will be great—like a very special date. So don't miss it! I want to have a dinner date with you, and I'll be waiting! Love, your Jesus. (End of message from Jesus.)

Making Word Time a Habit

78. (Question: ) How can you make your time with the Lord a habit? In other words, what things can you do to make it part of your schedule so you never or rarely miss it?

79. (Jesus speaking:) Making your time with Me a habit is something you need to really strive for. This is a point that I've been repeating for years. Your Father David often spoke of it, and all the men and women of God before him knew that it was the key to a godly life. They knew it was what would sustain them. I'm not going to give you all the reasons why it's good, as you can read about it in countless Letters from David and now Maria to you. You can also read about it in the testimonies of every truly great man or woman of God. The fact that it's necessary is not disputed. You know the need for it‚ so you ask yourselves why it's so hard to find the time to do it.

80. One of the reasons is that you're taking Me for granted, and taking advantage of My great love for you. You know that I'll understand if you miss our time together, and I do. But that doesn't change the fact that it hurts you every time you miss your time with Me. Because of that attitude you feel, "It's okay, I can fit in my time with the Lord any time." Well, that's true. I don't demand a certain time that you come to Me, and I'm available to you any time. But with that attitude, it's easy to let the time slip between your fingers, and then it's the wee hours of the night and you still haven't spent that essential time with Me.

81. At that point, you promise you'll spend time with Me the next day. But the problems just tumble about you and eat away at your time‚ to where before you know it, another day has gone by without your taking that vital time with Me. Whereas if you'd spent time with Me‚ I could have prevented the problems or given you advance warning of them. Instead it gets into a vicious cycle that's hard to break out of.

82. So what can you do to make it a habit? First you have to commit to it—you have to believe that it's the most important thing in your day and that if nothing else gets done, you will spend time with Me. Believe that it's your most important accomplishment of the day, so if you aren't able to do anything else, if you've had your time with Me you'll feel fulfilled and satisfied. Of course, if you're spending time with Me, then a whole lot of other things will get accomplished as well.

83. Now once you've committed and decided that you'll take that time with Me no matter what, you need to set a time. The easiest way to go about it is to set a certain time that you take at the same time every day. But I know that's not possible for everyone. Many of you have demands that make your schedules vary from day to day. If that's so, you need to write it on your to-do list for the day.

84. Now this is a very precarious situation, as I know many of you put more than is hu­manly possible on your to-do list for each day—and if you're not careful, before you know it, your time with Me will be bumped. So if you can't do it first thing in the morning for whatever reason, then you need to schedule a specific time later in the day. Count it as an appointment just like you would any other appointment, and if you need to reschedule, then that's fine, as long as you don't bump it altogether. And if you find at the end of the day you haven't spent that time with Me that you should have, it would be better to sacrifice a little sleep to do so than to skip it altogether. Most likely it won't be as easy as if you'd had it early in the day when you didn't have to fight going to sleep, but at least it will have taught you a good lesson not to bump it to so late.

85. Now I'm going to go over that again, just so you get the point. You've made the commitment—you've decided you're going to do it every day no matter what else you do—so now the question is when. If you're the type of person who needs a lot of sleep and you sleep right up until devotions, or if you need to be with the kids as soon as they get up, or if there's something else that stops you from doing it first thing in the morning, then you need to find another time that's better, like right after devotions before you start your other work. If that doesn't work out, then try right after lunch‚ or sometime in the evening. Whatever time it is, you have to find out what time works for you and faithfully commit to it.

86. You may have to try different times to see what works best. As soon as you see that some time slot isn't working‚ stop and pray about another time that will.

87. You say, "But what about when I'm traveling and visiting the Homes?" (Mama: Or out on the road, or having a fundraising push, or filling in with a new childcare group—the list is endless! Put your current scenario in here!) The first thing you should do in any new situation is stop and evaluate the things that need to be done, and then see where your time with Me will fit in best. I know you're busy, and often your schedule isn't the same each day. But the appointment you have with Me each day is top priority, so you need to take that into account.

88. Or you may be wondering how you can fit it in‚ seeing you have pressing appointments with the System and need to be out the door early. If that's the case, then figure into your schedule that you need to get up earlier in order to fit that time in. If that doesn't work for you, then fit the time in at some other time. You know what times your appointments are, so sit down and write up your schedule‚ putting that time with Me in there, and don't pack so many things in that it's unrealistic. Give yourself wiggle room.

89. As I said before‚ you can't think, "Oh, I'll just fit it in sometime." No‚ you need to schedule it regularly for a certain time each day. Or if you don't have a regularly scheduled time, then when you pray about what you need to do [for that day], you need to write it in your schedule as an appointment and keep it.

90. My loves, I don't need to tell you all the benefits of it, as you know them, and that was not your question. But I do promise that if you commit to taking time every single day, no matter what, then I will commit to all the promises I have ever promised about the benefits and blessings of doing it. You'll love it. It's only for your good, My sweet loves. (End of message from Jesus)

91. (Jesus speaking: ) My love, the answer is obviously in scheduling. Many times your queen has suggested that changes be instituted in the Family through scheduling, such as in praise time, and in the hour-and-a-half quiet time that everyone must have each day. This was at My suggestion and My leading initially.

92. The idea of taking time with Me in the morning is throughout My Word, in the Bible as well as in the Letters of your David. There are verses like, "Thy voice will I hear in the morning," and "Cause me to hear Thy loving­kindness in the morning." The ideal, if possible, is first thing in the morning. It would be good to do a study on how the morning time is wonderful for hearing from Me, for getting yourself on the right channel, for tuning your spirit into My Spirit, for letting Me direct your thoughts, actions‚ energies and concentration first thing.

93. This is a wonderful time, when the soul is just beginning to stir, fresh and clean and new, and not yet imprinted with the business and glare of the day. It's a time when the soul of man is like that of a new baby—without the harsh realities of the physical world having yet made their mark on it. The soul or spirit of man comes out of sleep; it's fresh from communion with Me during the night‚ having loved Me with another or alone before sleeping, and having communed with Me in the night seasons. It's ready to receive My Word and My thoughts in a much easier way than if it were to try to do so during the day.

94. There's a readiness to receive My Word and My Spirit at that time. There's a fresh and untouched quality about the spirit of man at that time that allows Me to mold and guide it further.

95. Of course, some people enjoy their communion with Me at night when no one else is around, when the house is quiet and when there's not the static of daily activity. So this is also a good time to tune into Me and My Spirit.

96. But as your Father David said, in the busy Homes in which you live, with so much to do, so much busyness and activity, so many things flying around and so many vibes in the air, it's wonderful to seek Me early in the morning when nothing else is happening. There's less interference; there's less in the air that will distract you or influence or interrupt you when you're hearing from Me and spending time with Me.

97. "Early" means different things to different people. But you must be sure to get that time, whatever it means to you. You must be sure to have that time with Me when there's nothing else on your mind but tuning in to Me, becoming one with Me in spirit, and receiving My keynote for the day. Sometimes this keynote may be short; it may be just a paragraph or a few sentences of instruction, a sort of "let's see, where are we going and what do we have to do today?" time with Me. It doesn't always have to be a time of getting major messages, but it can be. I simply need your ear, your time of tuning in to Me and My Word, and I need your spirit so that I can influence it and set it on the right path first off.

98. So the question is‚ how can this become a habit—either early, or first thing in the morning, or later in the day? I realize that not everyone can get their Word time first thing in the morning consistently. Some have children. Some have pressing business that has to be started first thing. Some have other duties that begin right away.

99. Yes, it comes back to the same thing—scheduling. If you don't schedule it‚ it often won't happen. Until it becomes a habit‚ and until you're so sure of it that you don't have to schedule it, then you must make a time each day for hearing from Me and for delving into My Word. Even hearing from Me each day is not enough if you don't also spend time taking in My written Word. This will provide ballast‚ strengthen­ing, and will help to fill you up and nourish you when you feel spent from the battle or the hard work that's before you each day.

100. So, My dears, be sure to schedule it. Even those who are in the habit of daily Word time need it to be scheduled so that it's not encroached upon by others. People need to know that there's an inviolable time that is not to be invaded by anyone or anything, and that is the time with Me.

101. Of course, people know of the import­ance of it, yet many don't want to slow down enough for it. The secret is to do it even before the day gets going.

102. Some also think of Word time or time with Me in prayer and prophecy as pertaining only to spiritual matters. But if they will bring their business dealings, practical matters, and all the specifics to Me for Me to comment on and help them with during their prayer and prophecy time, they'll see that I'm vitally involved in all areas of their lives and service for Me. I'll give them good, simple, easy-to–enact answers that will make their tasks so much easier. So in giving Me this time‚ they'll find that their business relations flow and that I'll do miracles in the practical realm as well as in the spiritual.

103. I love to talk about Word time and about time with Me, because I can see the great joy and happiness and easing of the load that it will bring to My children when they take this time. I love My children, and love to spend time with them. So when I think that these instructions will cause them to spend more time with Me, I rejoice and look forward to these sweet, precious, priceless hours ahead with My dear ones. I love them so, so much, and cry over My love for them. I weep with joy for how much I love them. I take the heart of each one in My hands and kiss it, and cherish it, and handle it with such gentleness and tenderness. I so look forward to a time when I can tell each one how I love them, how I honor them, how I'm pleased with their faithfulness, and how I can help them in their tasks.

104. So please, please tell them to take the time with Me‚ so that I can shower My love on them and so that we can be one—I and My precious, wonderful brides, the loves of My life‚ My eternal loves. I love all of you so much, and long to be with you, and look forward with great joy and anticipation to the time we have before us together in the spirit. (End of message from Jesus.)

105. (Jesus speaking:) You can make it known when you have your time with Me. You can let others know, and this will help you to be sure to do it then‚ and it will also make it plain so that others will not interrupt.

106. You can be in a place where outside distractions don't interfere‚ such as in a quiet room. You can put a "do not disturb" sign on the door. You can set up times when you check your mail‚ and not do it during your prayer and prophecy time and special time with Me.

107. You can write down a plan for the day, after getting it from Me, in your agenda‚ diary, or notebook, and then stick to that time that I've told you would be the time for hearing from Me, having Word time, and spending time with Me.

108. You can have prayer that Word time will become a habit and that you won't miss it, that you'll crave it and give it priority. As you bring these things before Me and ask Me to do them, especially publicly, you'll find that the habit will become ingrained and you won't miss it—because I will perform it and will do it for you, others will help as well‚ and you yourself will really try. All these efforts combined will make the habit a reality. (End of message from Jesus.)

109. (Mama: ) Naturally, if you take time to ask the Lord personally, the details regarding how you can make sure you get your Word time or the tips He can give you might be different. If your ministry is the care of the children, for instance, or a full-time outreach ministry, the Lord might have other guidelines or safeguards to give you that would be more applicable to your situation. Maybe He would tell you to get up a few minutes before the children in order to have some moments of quiet with Him. Or maybe He could give you ideas about how to help the children learn these same habits of taking quiet time, and it could be something you work on together. Maybe He would tell you to schedule a break in your outreach day for a little time of communion with Him, rather than waiting until you come home and are tired from a long day out to try and get some extra Word time. In each and every situation, the Lord has a solution! He loves you and wants that time with you—not only because He enjoys it, but because He knows it will make you happy and make your life easier!

110. (Jesus speaking:) I love them that love Me, and they that seek Me early shall find Me. That's the key, My loves—to seek Me early before your day begins. You must put Me first in your day before anything else, and this will be the secret of your success of making time with Me a part of your schedule, never to be missed.

111. You know that if you don't do this, it's rare that you will stop again later in the day to take quality time with Me. Of course, you do check in with Me throughout the day, but I'm talking about quality time—loving Me, hearing My plan for your day, taking in My Words and sucking My seeds, communing with Me in the bed of love.

112. In most cases, in order to make this work, you must do this first‚ before you do anything else. Each of you should come to Me and ask Me for specifics on how to implement this counsel in your life and situation.

113. For example, in some cases I might tell you that one way to accomplish this is to make it an inviolable rule not to turn on your computer before you've had your time with Me. Once the computer is on and the mail rolls in, for some people there's too much temptation to be dragged into this business or that, and then it's difficult for you to stop and be with Me. You know that's true.

114. In that case, the solution is simple—you must take your time with Me before you turn on your computer. Let Me turn you on first, and you turn Me on, and let's have our love feast in the morning‚ in the quiet, before the day begins. Once we're satisfied, and you've poured out your heart to Me, and I've poured My love and words into you, then it will be time to enter into the wings and go about your duties of the Kingdom.

115. I know you love Me and seek to please Me in all that you do. And this will be the thing that will please Me the most and thrill Me the most, and make the biggest change for good in your life—to put Me first in your day.

116. Rise up early in the day, as I did, when I walked upon the Earth with My disciples. I had to have time alone with My Father to receive the strength I needed for My mission, and the same is true of you. You need My strength to accomplish all that is before you, and you can receive this strength in the morning hours, when the dew is still upon the roses, when you walk with Me and talk with Me in the garden of My love.

117. My solutions are simple, and I will give them to each of you as you seek Me. What works for one person may not work for another, but I have a solution for each of you, because I love My time with you and I will not go without it. I will take care of every­thing else while you're spending time loving Me. That's a promise.

118. I love you, and I look forward to having more time than ever with you in the garden of our love. (End of message from Jesus)

119. (Jesus speaking:) Schedule it into your day and do your best to not let it be pushed out. Having your time with Me first is usually the surest way for you to make sure that it gets done. If you leave hearing from Me till last‚ it will most surely be pushed out of your day by other seemingly more pressing matters. So schedule it first thing in the morning.

120. You could get someone to help you‚ to remind you about hearing from Me. You could ask your friends and co-workers to help check you, and thus help you to form the habit of taking personal time with Me each day.

121. Another idea is to make yourself a chart, where each day you check it off once you've taken your time in the bed of love with Me, once you've taken your time in personal communion and hearing from Me. Then you can look back and see how you're doing and what you've done to make progress in taking this time with Me daily.

122. Besides the quiet time that we must spend together each day in the bed of love‚ remember that you can and should be hearing from Me all the time. So if you're not sleeping or unconscious, then you can hear from Me all the time, anywhere, while doing anything! If your antenna is always pointed up to Me, then you can constantly be hearing My words of encouragement, help, guidance, instruction, love, faith, and much, much more! I long to speak to you every moment of the day, and I know that if you do everything you possibly can to make hearing from Me a habit, then we'll grow closer together as one.

123. A bride and bridegroom long for each other at every moment of the day. They don't only look at each other and speak to each other while they're in the solitude and quietness of the bedchamber, but they show love and speak with each other all throughout the day. That's how I wish to be with you. You just need to learn to make this a habit.

124. Seek Me for tailor-made ways that will work the best for you. Also, try out these suggestions that I've given you, and if one thing doesn't work, go on to the next. If taking daily, personal time to hear from Me and love Me is not yet a habit in your life, then you should do all you possibly can to make it a habit now, immediately, as it's of great importance. I will help you and make it as easy for you as I can. (End of message from Jesus.)

Staying Free of Distractions

125. (Jesus speaking:) The Enemy really hates My Word and seeks to distract you in any way he can. I can give you a few general tips, but often you will just need to come to Me to find out what works for you, as even your personality has a lot to do with how to fight distractions. But I will show you what to do.

126. One of the first things to do in overcoming distractions is to realize that you're being dis­tracted! Often you let your mind wander and you don't even realize that you're being distracted. But if you realize that this is a problem and a tactic of the Old Boy‚ then you can take a stand against it.

127. Prayer is a great factor in over­coming any distractions. Commit your heart and mind to Me and pray against any and all distractions before starting to read.

128. Another thing is to have pen or pencil in hand, marking your reading material‚ writing down questions, underlining portions, etc. Write down or dictate little messages from Me that I whisper to you as you read. Often I will make a passage stand out to you that I want to speak to you about on the spot.

129. If you find you've been distracted by a fleeting thought, big or small, if you write it down on a piece of paper and commit it to Me, then you won't need to think about it until later. If you don't write it down, you'll tend to think about it over and over so that you don't forget it, and this can cause you to be anxious and nervous and want to finish your Word time prematurely.

130. If you notice your mind has wandered, reread a line or two, or a whole paragraph if you have to.

131. If it's your physical surround­ings that are distracting you‚ then you can see if the problem can be remedied. But sometimes you'll just have to block it out‚ which you can mentally do if you ask for My help to rise above.

132. Well, those are just a few tips. The Enemy's distractions are many and varied, so please ask Me for specific counsel for your needs, because what may distract you might not distract the next person, and vice versa. I hold the key to overcoming distractions in every situation. (End of message from Jesus.)

Absorbing the Word

133. (Jesus speaking: ) It takes stirring yourself up daily to keep a desire and hunger for the Word.

—It takes consistency and a good schedule.

—It takes prayer‚ when you feel yourself slipping. It takes the help of mates, shepherds or loved ones to help keep you on the straight and narrow when it comes to your daily Word time.

—It takes praying and asking Me to help you with reading lists and ideas on when and where to take your Word time.

—It takes asking Me to give you the conviction you need to make sure you get a daily feeding and infilling of My Word.

—It takes getting united prayer, if need be, for help and guidance and a hunger for that time with Me.

134. It's important that you do what works for you. If you find your Word time boring‚ monotonous, or you're not getting a good, solid feeding, then the first step is to pray and ask Me what you should do. What works for one person may not work for another. Find out what works for you, and then stick with it.

135. Try something for a while‚ and if it doesn't seem to be doing the trick, then pray and ask Me to show you what you can do differently, how you can change. Maybe you need a change in where you take your Word time, or maybe you need more variety in the types of things you read. Maybe you need to change the time of day when you get in the Word. Some people thrive on continuity and habit; others like variety and a change of pace and scenery.

136. So much has been said and written about the importance of a good, daily feeding of My Word. You just can't operate without it! If you're finding you don't even have the gumption to make the effort to pray about it, then ask someone else to help you and pray with you. Brainstorm ideas and ways to make your times with Me exciting and fulfilling.

137. Most of all, ask Me to give you a conviction about it in your heart regarding its importance in your life, and motivation to follow through on what I show you.

138. You need to develop these skills and habits now, for in the days to come those who are not strong in the area of feeding on My Word will find themselves in serious trouble when the winds of adversity blow. The days continue to grow dark and the night will soon be upon them. Without the power and light of My Word to lead the way, they will fall by the wayside and perish.

139. I say this not to frighten you, My children, but to warn you that you need to develop these good habits now while you have time. Ask Me to ingrain them into the very fiber of your being, so that when the time comes and the storms blow, your house will be well built and firmly anchored to the rock of My Word, and not poorly built, with little foundation or firmness. (End of message from Jesus)

The Parallel of the Mountain

And Restful Time With the Lord

140. (Jesus speaking: ) Picture yourself cross­ing a rugged, icy range of mountains. This is no easy beginner's trail, but it's steep and rocky, and it's snowing. As you look around you, you see the fir trees laden with snow, their branches bent with the weight of it. Your path is not marked because of the snow, so you have to go by sight and by prayer, to be sure that you don't fall into a crevasse or gully. You look up at the sky and find it gray and bleak. In fact, there's such a cloud cover and so much snow falling, you can't see the sky.

141. You trudge onward, knowing that the hardest is yet to come. There will be more steep grades, less visibility. You'll come to the truly hard parts where you must use your climbing equipment to be able to even hold on to the mountain. You aren't to that part yet, but you know it's ahead. Even now it takes every ounce of your strength to press onward. Your muscles are aching and your face stings with the cold. Little beads of tears that have escaped the corners of your eyes freeze on your cheeks. Your hands feel numb, yet you forge onward.

142. You have great courage, great ten­acity, great determination, so you don't let all these obstacles hold you back. You're determined to make it to your destination, and this desire and tre­mendous compulsion you feel inside eggs you on.

143. Still, your strength is waning. You have the advantage of the intense motivation you feel inside, but even so, your spirit and body and abilities are all stretched to the limit. You know that the hardest part is yet to come, and so deep inside‚ you wonder if you can make it.

144. And what's worse, you're alone. You're not traveling with a guide who has been that way before. Others are depending on you to forge the way, to scout out the difficulties‚ to find out how to get there so that they can follow. Once you've done that, you yourself can be the guide, but right now there's no one, no person to show you—only God.

145. Right at that point, through the trees you see a glimmer of light. Then as you proceed, the forest parts and there's an inn, a type of way station for travelers, a mountain lodge. It looks so warm, so inviting. Probably hot chocolate will be served inside, or tea with brandy, or some other warm and invigorating drink. It looks like a fire is burning in the fireplace, as its flicker and gleam appears through a break in the curtains at the window. You can hear people laughing inside, and see them eating and drinking. They don't even have their jackets on—they're so warm and cozy inside.

146. There's smoke coming from the chimney, and the building‚ built like a log cabin with a steep overhang to the roof, is like an island of warmth, cheer, and encouragement in the middle of the snowstorm, the dark trees, and the forbidding mountain path.

147. You pause for a moment. You see those inside who are so warm and who are getting strengthened and rested for the rest of the journey, or maybe they're even finding out how to make it. Perhaps they, like you, haven't been there before. Maybe there are guides inside who have been that way and who will tell them the best way to go, the pitfalls and dangerous spots to avoid, the safest and most efficient route.

148. There's also food inside—good‚ hearty, nourishing food—something that you can hardly imagine, because you've been hungry for so long that you can hardly even remember what it feels like to have a warm meal. You've just been eating your trail snacks along the way because you didn't want to stop for long, and anyway, there wasn't a spot to do so.

149. But here it is—a nice, warm, inviting place that has been put there for travelers just like you. It looks like there are even small bedrooms at the back of the lodge, so that you could go in and rest if you needed to. The place has everything a traveler needs to continue the journey.

150. Yet as you survey this lovely lodge with all that it offers, you decide to keep going. You don't want to stop. You've got your momentum up‚ you feel, and you don't want to break your stride. Sure, you're aching with tiredness, your tummy is hurting for food‚ and your extremities are numb and stinging with cold. But stop? "That's for wimps," you think. You can make it. You don't need to have a stop for rest and nour­ish­ment and strengthening. You'd rather keep on going and see if you can find your way yourself. "Sure, there are guides in there, but wouldn't it be better if I find my own way? Wouldn't I get a little more glory that way, or a little more credit?"

151. A little voice inside says, "But what if you don't make it? What if you take the wrong path or you don't have the strength to continue?" But you ignore this voice, as well as the urge of almost everything that is in you to stop and get all your needs met in that lodge. You feel the pull of the companion­ship inside too—the chance to compare notes with fellow travelers‚ to draw encouragement from them and learn from them. You feel that they could give you tips and lessons and how-tos that they've learned. But instead of stopping, you press on into the murky snowstorm, the dark forest, through the bleak and menacing mountains. You feel it's better to go it alone with only the compulsion you have inside of you driving you. And that's the last you're seen or heard from.

152. That's what so many of you do when you don't stop for Word time, for strengthening time with Me. I'm giving you everything you need to make a difficult and perilous journey‚ and the means by which I'm giving it to you is inviting, entertaining, and enjoyable. Yet so many of you prefer to make the journey without these refreshing and enjoyable stops along the way. If you made them, you'd find fellowship with Me in My Word and in prayer. You'd find spirit helpers who know the way and could help you with their advice. You'd find strength to your soul, rest to your spirit, and encouragement for your heart. You'd be able to make the journey with all the resources that I have for you.

153. But so many want to go it alone—partly out of pride, partly because they don't want to admit that they're not sufficient in themselves, that they need My help and the help of My Word, My helpers, My personal Words to them, My love that I can put in their hearts. So they trudge on, and oh, the way is so hard, so difficult!

154. I can't take away the difficulty of the path, but I can make your journey much easier. These enjoyable stops in My Word along the way will make the journey a joy, because you'll have the strength to meet each challenge. So stop in at My Word-Lodge, won't you? Won't you have a cup of comfort with Me? Won't you have a chat with a spirit helper who can give you some tips? Won't you have a rest in one of My big comfy beds with eiderdown covers and soft, squishy pillows? And won't you warm yourself by the fireplace of My Word?

155. Let all that I have be your help and com­fort, and it will make your journey through life much easier. The challenges are there, but the wise man will do all he can to prepare for them, and avail himself of all the resources that will make the journey possible and successful.

156. Then you will complete your journey and reach the final mountaintop, and you and I together will rejoice at the beautiful view! We'll drink from the mountain streams, pick some of the flowers that only grow on the mountaintop, and return to tell others how they can get there too.

157. I love you! I'll see you at the Lodge! Love, your Mountain Guide, Jesus. (End of mess­age from Jesus.)

The Day of No Impossibilities

158. (Mama:) And here's a little encouragement for you from our sweet Husband about how you can make this a reality in your life.

159. (Jesus speaking:) My beloved ones‚ you've heard My Words, you know they are truth, and you know that without Me you can do nothing. You want to take the necessary time with Me; you want to become men and women filled with My Spirit who can command Me to do anything for you. But you fear‚ thinking of all the times you've tried to make this a reality in your life, and have not succeeded. The Enemy is there to condemn you, to tell you that it can't be done, that there's no way you can really attain to this consistent closeness and dependence upon Me.

160. My loves, I want you to remember that this is the day of no impossibilities. I can and will change you, if you want Me to and cry out to Me. I stand on My Word; I do not lie. I can help you to overcome this seeming mountain of impossibility, if you want to change and you allow Me to work in your life and do whatever is necessary to help you change. This is a great commitment on your part. But when you compare the measure of the sacrifice to the measure of the miracles that I can do, and the great results that will come about in your life, in your Home, and the Family in general if you make progress in this area, it is a very small sacrifice by comparison. No one is strong enough in themselves to make this change. It has to be a teamwork effort—you opening yourself up completely to Me, and My then working the miracle in your life that you cannot do on your own.

161. If you want to be sure that I will help you, that you will change in this area‚ if you want it badly enough that you're willing to do anything for it‚ pray and tell Me so. Tell Me that above all, you want to become a man or woman of prayer and power in My Spirit. Tell Me that you're tired of trying to do things on your own and work things out in your own strength‚ and you want to live in the strength of this new day‚ the day of no impossibilities. You want to fully partake of all that the era of action can give you—you want to be a part of the great wave of power and anointing that I have unleashed. Confess that you need Me to change you, and that you can't do it on your own. And give Me leave to do whatever is needed to bring about those changes in your life.

162. That, My loves, is an offer that I cannot refuse! I will work in your life. I will bring about the changes that are needed. I will do what you cannot do. And you will become a man or woman of power in My Spirit that I have ordained for you to be. It's possible for anyone, with My help. This is the way that the Family will truly become the leaders of the End, shining lights to the world. You do shine now, but I wish for you to shine even brighter, and that will be a natural result of the changes that each of you make in this area. The people that do know their God shall be strong!

163. Then, once you have opened yourselves up to Me with that desperate prayer, I will step in and will help you to start changing. Of course, you must put forth the effort of obedience. You must ask Me where to start in your own personal life, and then follow the instructions I give you. The Enemy will fight you hard, for he knows this is the key to your success. But if you persevere, you will overcome! You will rise above the mountains of obstacles he puts in your way. And I will do the miracles that you cannot do. The victory is sure, My loves, if you follow these steps. Put Me to the test! I cannot and will not fail! I love you! (End of message from Jesus.)