Maria
May 7, 2003
By MariaMaria #591 CM/FM 3373 11/01
Note: Please read this GN unitedly sometime before January 5, to allow ample time to plan and prepare for the Feast days beginning the evening of January 10.
Dearest Family‚
1. The Feast time is here once again, and what a spread our doting Husband has laid out for us! Peter and I are praying for you as you prepare for this time. Even though it's a very special and rewarding time, we understand that there are sacrifices and some hard work involved in making it work in each Home, and we're praying for the Lord's anointing for you and for His supply, and that everything will go as smoothly as possible. Please join us in praying against any emergencies or anything that would disrupt this time for any of our Family Homes around the world. This Feast, like the others, promises to be a milestone in our history, as the Lord reveals treasures and secrets of the spirit. Somehow it seems that each Feast is more significant than the one before—but maybe that's just because each one is exactly what we need at the time.
General Overview and Organization
From Grapevine 117:
2. Our Husband confirmed that with as few exceptions as possible, He would like for all Family members to be present in their Homes with their brethren and teammates during these Feast days, starting the evening of January 10th. He said that He has wonderful things to give us during these days. Here are some excerpts of what He had to say:
3. I wish for the Family to shut out the world as much as possible during this time. I want them to come in out of the wings, to enter My temple, to stand under the dome of My Spirit‚ to receive from Me fully‚ completely‚ uninhibited‚ and free from distraction. For this reason‚ I confirm that starting the Feast a ways into January is My will, allowing for those who must visit relatives to finish their visits, allowing those who are extra tired from the Christmas and New Year's season of intense witnessing to rest up, allowing the Homes to plan and prepare for the Feast at a steady‚ yet relaxed pace, allowing for all to make the necessary arrangements in order to set their house in order so that they can enter these days of the Feast free from outside cares, free from distractions.
4. I desire that with little or no exception all Family members be present in their Homes, with their brethren and teammates for this time of the Feast 2002. Request that all adjust their schedules accordingly, giving these Feast days top priority. Ask all to make the necessary arrangements to have finished their visits with friends and contacts and relatives, to have finished their business, for I desire that all be rested up and well focused to go into the Family Feast, alert, free from distraction, and free of outside commitments.
5. This Feast time will be like no other, My loves, for as I have spoken, you can only go forward. As you walk into the era of action, onward and upward you go! There is no eye that has seen, there is no ear that has heard the things I have prepared for you, My Family, My faithful, My yielded brides of the era of action. Therefore, make yourselves ready. Prepare. Set these dates on your calendars and let nothing stand in the way of this plan. (End of excerpt from Grapevine 117.)
6. (Mama:) The plan of this Feast follows previous ones in that generally there are two meetings per day—a morning meeting and an afternoon or evening meeting, depending on what would work best for your Home. This year the meetings will be fairly short—probably no longer than an hour to an hour and a half, with the exception of the closing meeting on the 13th.
7. Because the meetings will be fairly short, please take care to schedule the extra time available so that everyone has a chance to have undisturbed personal time with the Lord and in His Word and hearing from Him. It would be very sad for the time to be frittered away, or taken up with duties which could have been done at another time or organized so as to take less manpower.
8. The Lord also gave a few questions at the end of various Feast GNs‚ which He's asking each of us to come to Him about. These are to help us get the most out of these new revelations and counsel He's giving us. You don't need to pray about all these questions during the Feast days‚ but please do start on them and use the time you have as efficiently as possible, so you can hear from the Lord about as many as you can.
9. As with previous Feast times, please try to organize the cooking and cleanup schedule in a way that will require a minimum of labor to prepare and clean up. Preparing granola, yogurt, soups or stews, or other easily served foods in advance of the Feast might be helpful‚ if you're able to organize it. The main point is to allow everyone as much time as possible to concentrate on the Lord and the messages He's giving, and be undistracted by Home duties or other things.
Who can attend the meetings?
10. This is up to you as a Home to organize and decide how it would work best in your situation. It's generally fine for the children to be in the meetings, if they are able to listen or play quietly without causing too much distraction. Regarding the children's attendance‚ the Lord said:
11. I want some of My children to have the opportunity to attend these meetings, if their parents have the faith for it. There's nothing wrong with them sitting in and observing the dedication and what I'm asking of their parents and the adults. It will help prepare them for the lessons I have for them. I don't want to make it mandatory for the children to attend, but neither should it be discouraged. If there are many children in a Home, it might be distracting trying to keep them all quiet and occupied or tuning in during the meetings‚ in which case they should be cared for separately‚ since the most important thing is for the adults to be fed and receive this counsel. But in most cases it would be fine for them to be there, and it would be very inspiring and beneficial to them. I leave it in the hands of each Home and parent to pray about and decide on. (End of message from Jesus.)
12. (Mama: ) It would also be good for the JETTs and junior teens to attend the meetings. There is a ceremony on the evening of the last day which the JETTs and junior teens and even the children can participate in if they attend the meetings and read the GNs. (MCs on up can attend this meeting.)
13. Those on babes status and partial excom, as well as your Active members, may also attend these meetings at the teamwork's discretion. Once some of you teamworkers have read through the entire Feast package and are familiar with its contents, you can pray about which Active members, if any, you feel led to invite. The Lord also gave us some relevant counsel about inviting Active members and the importance of the full-time disciples not being unnecessarily distracted from the main purpose of the Feast. He said:
14. I will leave it in the hands of the teamworks and Homes whether to invite and include their Active members in the Feast meetings. However, above all it is to be a special time for My full–time disciples to receive from Me, so I would not have it become a mini-retreat, requiring added organization and ministering. If the Active members are able to sit in on the meetings, that is wonderful, and I grant them permission to attend this special time. But it should not be at the cost of weakening or watering down the experience for the full-time disciples who must at this time be fully focused and ready to receive all that I will pour down.
15. This strengthening that I want to give you, My full-time disciples, will pay off one hundredfold in your future times of witnessing and shepherding, and that is why at this time it is important that you be fully focused, without a lot of distractions or having to organize shepherding and feeding for your Active members. If the Active members can sit in on the meetings as they are held, then they can do so. But it shouldn't distract My full-time disciples from receiving all I have for them. Each Home and teamwork will need to seek Me regarding what is best for their situation. (End of message from Jesus.)
Feast Reading and
Activities for Children
16. Though there isn't a specific daily reading course laid out for the children, we do have a good feeding agenda for them. There are two new MLKs to read during Feast Celebration 2002. These are "Keys to My Kingdom" (MLK #142), and "The Pavilion of the Power of God!" (MLK #143). (For those of you who don't normally read the MLKs, if you don't clearly remember the vision of the pavilion from GN 947‚ this MLK can serve as a good reminder of the immense power source that is behind the keys and God's Word!)
17. Also included in your Feast mailing is the "Categorical MLK Index" (FCP #54). This is a new index of all the MLKs up to date‚ categorized by themes for your easy reference. Please use this as well as the Kiddy Cat Book and have your children read on the following subjects during these Feast days (and following the Feast for reinforcement on these topics):
Discipleship
Love Jesus More
Unity
Prayer
Spiritual Warfare
New Weapons
18. There are also parts of the Feast GNs, especially the Word pictures‚ that you could read to your OCs and even your MCs to help them partake of this New Wine. MLKs will be coming in the next few months on these topics, God willing.
19. There are coloring pages taken from MLKs #142 and #143 for reinforcement of the MLKs, and as activities for the children to work on during quiet times when the adults are either in meetings or having private prayer and Word time.
20. Then for parent time, there's a fun new card game for the kids and you to play during these days, "The 100 Soul Card Game" (FCP #56).
21. For the kids who are old enough to understand the HTKs‚ here's a reading list of HTKs:
Discipleship
q#31 The Endtime Race
q#36 Seekman and the Treasures
q#43 Pillars of God
q#48 The Amazing Supernatural Miraculous Transformation of Bill Bored!
q#63 Purge Your Playthings—and Head for the Highlands!
q#67 Elite Troops!—Goals for '98
q#102 Doing the Humble Thing!
q#103 We're Prophets!
Love Jesus More / Our Relationship to the Lord
q#28 The Beggar Prophecy!
q#40 Peter the Water-bearer
q#56 Whispering Secrets
q#62 Quiet Time—Your Lifesaver!
Law of Love
q#81 God's Law of Love
Unity
q#33 Come Together—In Love
q#42 The Power and the Importance of Unity
q#46 A Fresh New Start!
q#65 The Generation Gap!
q#94 Mixed Bag—Labeling!
q#99 Dad on Honesty, Openness and Freedom
Prayer
q#64 Thought Power!
q#97 Focus on Prayer!
q#105 Prayer Is Action!
q#106 Intercessory Prayer Is
q#107 What's in it for Me?
Spiritual Warfare / Overcoming Attacks of the Enemy
q#53 Wham‚ Bam! Junk the Punk!
q#55 Thrash Him and Trash Him!
q#74 Our Defense Attorney!
q#76 Elite Troops—Special Army Issue!
q#93 Elite Troops—The Battle is Intensifying!
q#96 You Must Use the New Weapons to Survive on the Front Lines!
q#98 Nothing Is Impossible!
Meeting Plan
nEvening of Jan. 10: Vespers, praise and communion
From Grapevine 117:
22. (Jesus speaking:) I ask that you set aside a little time on the evening of the 10th to begin the Feast with vespers. This need not be a long or drawn-out meeting, but a time to stop and acknowledge Me, a time to praise Me, to commit the days ahead to Me. (End of excerpt from Jesus.)
23. (Mama:) In praying more about this meeting, which opens the Feast time, the Lord said:
24. Let this be a time to praise and sing to Me, to love Me with your words and with your hearts. Let it be a time to call on the power of the keys for cleansing from the thoughts and distractions of the world, that this time of feasting may be truly set apart in spirit, undisturbed‚ undistracted, fully focused on Me and on the things of the spirit which I will reveal to you.
25. Take communion as a testimony of your remembrance of My sacrifice, and that you are to be My called-out ones, willing to give your lives as I gave Mine. As you take communion‚ pray for your co-workers and mates around the world, all the children of David who are taking this time apart to be wholly Mine, and as you do, you will all be joined together in Me and will create a greater vacuum for My Spirit.
26. This vespers need not be long. It should begin and end with songs of praise and words of love to Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
nJanuary 11
27. Morning meeting: Read GN 971, "Focus on the Power" (ML #3374).
28. Afternoon/evening meeting: Read GN 972, "Keys Turned to Swords" (ML #3375).
nJanuary 12
29. Morning meeting: Read GN 973, "Full Possession" (ML #3376).
30. Afternoon/evening meeting: Read GN 974‚ "The Gift of Heavenly Thought Power" (ML #3377).
nJanuary 13
31. Morning: This time is to be spent in personal prayer, reflection and preparation for the afternoon or evening meeting, which will be a special ceremony with vows of surrender to our Husband. Enclosed with the Feast mailing you'll find individual copies of the vows which you can pass out to each adult to read and reflect on ahead of the meeting, so they can be well prepared. About this time the Lord said:
32. I want to give everyone the opportunity to come before Me in quietness and prepare their spirits for the ceremony. I don't want it to be something that just comes and goes, for it is meant to be a milestone, so that each person has the opportunity to have some undisturbed time for reflection and consecration and hearing from Me. So leave the morning before the ceremony free, a time when the Homes can schedule things so that each person has the opportunity to have this undisturbed time. (End of message from Jesus.)
33. (Mama:) During this time, please try to keep the house quiet and reverent, as much as possible, so that those who are taking their preparation time can concentrate fully. Of course, some people will need to be with the children, and those who are with them can help them to prepare for their participation in the ceremony as well, but perhaps the care of the children can be rotated or scheduled so that each person also has time to be alone and pray.
34. Afternoon/evening meeting: Read GN 975, "Vows of Surrender Ceremony" (ML #3378).
35. This will be a simple ceremony where each person (age 18 and up) declares where they stand for the Lord, as they say vows of surrender and dedication to Him. By the time you reach this point in the Feast, you will know what the Lord is asking as far as our dedication and submission to Him. This ceremony is an opportunity to make it official before Him and our mates. However, whether or not you say these vows is optional; it's up to each of you individually, and that is why the Lord asks that you each take time to prepare, to make personal commitments to Him, to receive His Words for yourself, so that you will know where you stand and will be prepared to say these vows in full faith and with your whole heart, if that is the decision you make.
Ceremony Logistics
36. The teamwork or those leading this meeting should read GN 975 in advance, so that you are able to decide the logistics of how things would work best for your Home—for example‚ whether each person should say their vows in turn, or whether to say them in unison, etc.
Active members
37. If you have Active members attending your Feast meetings‚ you will need to explain to them that they're not expected to say these vows. These are vows of surrender, of "utmost forsaking and yielding‚" as the Lord put it. Most Active members are not at the stage of forsaking all, and the Lord doesn't want them to feel bad or like He's expecting them to say these vows‚ or that they must say them in order to please Him or you.
38. (Jesus speaking:) These are vows of full commitment, and they are for My full–time disciples. If the Active members want to say them in their hearts of their own volition‚ and then their actions follow, that's up to them. But I will not encourage them to say these vows, for most are not ready‚ nor at the point to completely drop out of the System.
39. I offer the opportunity for them to attend the meeting and witness the testimony of those who are full-time, dropped-out disciples dedicating themselves to Me, because the sample and witness will be powerful. But I'm not expecting the Active members to say these vows, and I don't want them to think that they must say them if they are to please Me. Each person has his or her place. But for those who give Me their all, I have many gifts to give them in return. (End of message from Jesus.)
The Children, JETTs and Junior Teens
40. (Mama:) When we asked the Lord about the participation of the children, JETTs, and junior teens in this ceremony‚ He gave a beautiful prayer for them to say in place of the vows. (See "Thank You for the Keys," MLK #144, for the explanation to the children about this ceremony, and for their prayer.)
41. If you find that your older children would do better praying a prayer along with the JETTs and junior teens, feel free to pray about this, and if the Lord confirms, include that child or children.
42. If your OCs (9- to 11-year-olds) sit in on the readings of the Feast GNs, you might want to include them in the junior teen/JETT prayer. If your MCs (7– and 8–year-olds) also took part in the reading of the Feast GNs, then perhaps you would want your OCs to say the prayer with the MCs at this ceremony.
43. Or perhaps you would prefer that the children say it with their parents in a parental ceremony with the kids at another time. If you wish, you could read "Thank You for the Keys" with the children on the afternoon or evening of January 13, or the following morning. They could pray their prayers to the Lord then. The Lord said:
44. I encourage you to include the children as much as you can during the ceremony. They can gain much from this time of commitment. Even if they don't understand, if they are there taking part, at least the MCs on up, they will gain much from seeing the adults and teens committing themselves to Me. This is needed. And they will gain even more if they know it applies to them as well.
45. Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not. They need this public ceremony of committing to Me as well. It's part of building a foundation in their young lives. So include them as much as their understanding and maturity allows. (End of message from Jesus)
To the senior teens
46. (Mama: ) I want to address you seniors now and share with you the message the Lord gave about your preparation for and participation in this ceremony. We were asking the Lord about your participation because the Lord has said before that these are your years of decision and growing into full discipleship. Just as He has not made the Charter membership contract available to be signed until you're 18, because He wants you to have the time to make your decision without feeling pressured, so we asked Him what He is asking of you in light of this further commitment and dedication to Him with these vows. He indicated that it would not be appropriate for you to say these vows until you're 18. It's the same with many religious orders. Catholic nuns and priests cannot take their vows of full dedication until they reach a certain age or stage of growth or training. Even if they're fully committed before that age or stage‚ which many are, those are still the years which are considered years of decision and training, and they must wait to take their official vows.
47. I'm explaining this because I don't want any of you senior teens who really are committed to the Lord to think that we're belittling your commitment or brushing it aside. As you'll see in this message, as soon as you make your commitment to the Lord, you immediately receive the full blessings and benefits that accompany that commitment. The Lord doesn't wait until you've signed the Charter membership contract before He considers you a "full disciple" if you're living the life of a disciple. The signing of the contract is really a formality by comparison, and a testimony to others that you've made your commitment official. But the Lord looks at your heart and what you do with that commitment you've made to Him. It's the same with these vows. The Lord gave a prayer for you to pray which covers many of the same points‚ but doesn't put you under the pressure of total lasting commitment‚ as He wants you to make those commitments when you're older and more ready to do so.
48. These are your years of decision and growth. They're not years to fool around and fritter away, and if you have the attitude that you can wait until you're 18 to start living the life of a revolutionary disciple, you're going to arrive at age 18 sadly unprepared and behind in the spirit. But these are years when the Lord is giving you time to make your decision without feeling forced or pressured. He's giving you this time to search His Word and strengthen and prepare yourself for the life you want to live. He knows that you need to grow into discipleship. Here's what He said when we asked Him whether you should say the vows along with the adults.
49. (Jesus speaking:) My dear senior teens, you have so much potential! I look at you and I see powerhouses, individuals who, if you yield all to Me, will go far to change the world and accomplish My plan.
50. These years you are going through are years of decision. You are not yet full adults; although you have many of the Charter rights and privileges‚ and some of the Charter responsibilities, you are not held to full accountability. I have made it that way so that you have this time to pray about and consider what you want to do with your life, and to prepare for it.
51. You are a diverse group since you each arrive at the maturity of discipleship at different times. Much has to do with your experiences, and how much you get out of those experiences. If you're seeking Me, studying My Word, and doing your best to obey, you'll find that you grow quickly, you mature and find a place of responsibility, and I reward you with the blessings and rewards that are reserved for those who are revolutionary disciples. At the same time, because you have this time to grow at your own pace, some of you choose to fritter away the time, to push the limits and see how much you can get away with, to wait until full discipleship is absolutely "required" of you. That isn't wise, for that is not using these years as I have ordained them to be used. I have given them to you as a grace period, a time to make your calling and election sure, a time to study My Word and be strengthened before the full responsibility hits you.
52. I want to encourage those of you who have already fully committed to Me and are living the life of a disciple. I don't wait until you become of age to give you the full gifts and blessings and rewards of your commitment—I will begin to give them to you the moment you make the decision for Me. But I do understand that it takes time to grow into the responsibility that I ask of full-fledged disciples, and that is why I give you this grace period. Use it wisely, My loves, for it is short, and there is so much to learn.
53. Because this is a grace period, I do not ask you to say these vows at this time. I give you a special prayer to say instead, which‚ if spoken from your heart, will help to prepare you for the day when you will say these vows of yieldedness and surrender, love and devotion. Your prayers mean just as much to Me as the vows the adults will say, and you will receive the same rewards and benefits and anointing in return, but they leave room for your continued growth and commitment to Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
Receiving our Husband's vows in return
54. In addition‚ at the end of the ceremony, after we say our vows to our Bridegroom, He then wants to speak to each of His brides individually to give them His personal vows of love and commitment. And after that‚ there is to be a time of celebration.
55. (Jesus speaking: ) I wish to speak personally to each of My brides when they declare their vows to Me. These personalized Words are important for each to have and to hang onto. I ask for this opportunity to speak personally to each bride as they come before Me to state these vows.
56. Homes may organize this ceremony according to their situations. In some situations for very small Homes‚ people may want to recite their vows individually. For the most part‚ to save time in the larger Homes, people may say their vows all at once. In cases where they would say them in unison, they should envision saying them individually to Me. Close your eyes and think only of Me, blocking out all else that would distract, as if you were in a praise meeting or a loving Jesus time.
57. In cases where the Home is very small, after each bride says their vows, the Home members can stop and hear personal Words from Me for that bride. Another channel may receive these words‚ one channel for each bride after they say their vows—much like you do when someone asks for united prayer.
58. If the vows are recited simultaneously, as in the case of larger Homes, then afterwards a few channels can receive Words for the group, My personalized Words for your Home and situation. However, these Words are to prime the pump, and in this case I ask that each bride then go to a room that offers some privacy where they can individually receive personal Words from Me, immediately after the ceremony. Another option for larger Homes is to break into smaller groups of 2 to 4 people and receive words from Me for each other.
59. Or, if Homes prefer to assign each member of the Home to hear from Me for another member, they may do this instead. In other words‚ everyone would hear from Me for someone else rather than getting a message for themselves. The important thing is that I want to give personal Words to each of My brides.
60. If someone doesn't have the gift of prophecy, he or she can team up with someone who does. If you have Active members attending the meeting, they can either join a team that is hearing from Me or they can help with the children, however you feel led. Each situation is different, so Home teamworks should seek My leading on what is the best arrangement for their particular situation.
61. In some cases, this plan may seem difficult to organize, for not all have their own private room. Yet I will guide and show each Home how this can work out, if the teamwork will ask Me. If everyone will get quiet and alone with Me, even if they each take a corner of the room and sit quietly with a pen and paper or notebook, I will give My personal Words to each one who seeks Me and sucks for My golden seeds.
62. I wish to give My personal vows of love to all, young and old alike. Even the older children can participate in this time of hearing from Me, if the parents feel it is appropriate. I will leave it with each Home to organize how it would work best in their situation. If someone misses this time because of needing to care for the younger children, they can simply come to Me later to receive My personal Words for them, and I will pour them out abundantly.
63. After this time of receiving personal Words from Me, everyone can gather again for a time of praise and thanksgiving. This is not to be a long meeting for more reading, but a time to rejoice, a time of praise and congratulations. You can begin this time by acknowledging and praising Me. It can be a time of inspiration, to sing songs of praise to Me. It should be a time to unite and sing along with your anthem, as well as sing other appropriate songs of commitment and dedication, such as "I Surrender All." It should be a time to rejoice, to have a toast of honor, to honor Me and to honor you, My brides—a time of praise and thanksgiving, a time of singing songs of commitment and dedication, a time to have a glass of wine and make a toast, to serve snacks if you wish, and to fellowship as you love and praise Me together.
64. It is not meant to be a time for disco dancing, for playing games, or a time for everyone to go off in smaller groups. It should be a time of praise, singing songs of commitment, a time of loving fellowship and togetherness—a time to rejoice together, be together, and love and fellowship in loving praise and thanksgiving to Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
65. (Mama: ) In light of these instructions, please plan your meeting early enough to leave ample time for the reading of the GN, the prayers of the children and teens‚ the vows of the adults‚ receiving our Husband's Words for each bride (whether unitedly or privately), and then to meet back together for a time of celebration and singing and praise together.
66. About the time of saying the vows and prayers the Lord said, "In most cases it would probably be best to have the children go first, followed by the teens, and then the adults. However, if the children are shy and would feel awkward starting‚ it would be good for one of the parents to go first, and then the children‚ teens, and lastly the rest of the adults." As the Lord suggested, afterwards you can have some snacks prepared if you desire, and a glass of wine to toast and celebrate and honor Him and His brides.
67. May the Lord bless you with a thrilling, satisfying and renewing time with Him during these special days. We're praying for you in your preparations and organization‚ and for our dear Husband's miraculous supply of all your needs. We're claiming the power of the keys to make this time very special for each one of you.
Much love in our Bridegroom,
Mama
(End of file.)