March 17, 2004
"Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48).
CM/FM 3452 Compiled 4/03
Introduction
1. Throughout the Family's history, the Lord has given us wonderful counsel on how to be better disciples and overcome any problems that hold us back from doing so. During the course of the last five years, in particular, He's really poured it on, with lots of counsel in Letter after Letter!
2. While these Letters have been very feeding and inspiring reading, we're also responsible to live the principles mentioned in them and accountable for the truths the Lord has challenged us with, because "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48).
3. The Lord brought up the failure of the Brazilian Family to live some of these truths in His messages to them, but we're all accountable to put these principles into practice. They were given to the Family as a whole, to each Family member, young and old, Charter member or Fellow member—to you.
4. As a reminder of the Lord's Words and our accountability to obey them, we prepared the following compilation for the Brazilian Family, first listing some of the major Letters the Lord has given over the last several years and then compiling quotes from His warnings and promises from many of these same Letters.
5. We hope and pray you'll benefit from these reminders as well, and that, like King David of old, you'll pledge, "I shall keep Thy law; yea‚ I shall observe it with my whole heart" (Psa.119:34).
Timeline of the Lord's Counsel and Warnings
The progression of our spiritual growth and how the Lord has been asking more of us in recent years, and giving us many warnings:
1998:
The Feast this year majored on unity, with the Lord describing and exposing "the roadblocks to unity" in "Goals for 1998" (ML #3160, Lifelines 24) and continuing in such Letters as "Overcoming the Generation Gap" (ML #3161, Lifelines 24), "Your Open–Heart Prayer to the Lord" (ML #3163‚ Lifelines 24), "The Day of Renewal" (ML #3164, Lifelines 24), Mama's "Golden Victories" Letter on yieldedness and obedience (ML #3162, GN 768), etc. This was followed by a whole series of powerful Letters, including:
*"The Dangers of Bitterness" (ML #3167, Lifelines 24)
*"How to Recognize and Get Rid of Bitterness!" (ML #3170, Lifelines 24)
*"Freedom Through United Prayer!" (ML #3171, GN 776)
*"Don't Get Caught in the Web!" (ML #3174‚ GN 779)
*"The Year of the Bottom Line!" (ML #3176, GN 781)
*"The Lord's Plea: 'Be a Missionary for Me!'" (ML #3178, GN 783)
*"Eat Right!" (ML #3180, GN 784)
*"Wham‚ Bam! Junk the Punk!" (ML #3179, GN 785)
*"You Are What You Watch!" (ML #3182, GN 787)
*"Quiet Time—Your Lifesaver!" (ML #3183, GN 788)
*"The Spiritual Health Revolution!" (ML #3184, GN 789)
*"Dump the Dirty Language!" (ML #3185, GN 790)
*"Trash Your Trinkets and Head for the Hills!" (ML #3186, GN 791)
*"Stop the Gossip Now!" (ML #3187, GN 792)
*"Killer?—Or Healer? What Is Your Tongue?" (ML #3188, GN 793)
*"Charter Responsibilities" (ML #3197, GN 803)
*"Defeating Jealousy" (ML #3213, GN 817)
*"The Weakness Revolution" (ML #3218-3219, GN 819-821)
"The Law of Love" study month was held in September and October of this year, with 11 GNs on how to live the Law of Love (ML #3201-3211, GN 804–814).
1999:
During the Feast this year we reviewed the goals of 1998 (which became the goals of 1998–1999), the Law of Love series, and other milestone Letters from 1998.
This is also the year Peter visited the Family in Latin America, carrying with him the two "Latin Loves" GNs. (March)
In August "Spiritual Attacks Intensified" came out (ML #3255, GN 856), followed by the monumental S2K Letter (ML #3257, GN 857) with the Charter Membership contract and "More on the S2K" (ML #3262, GN 863).
2000:
The 2000 Feast consisted of: "Praise Him" (ML #3265‚ GN 868), "A New Era of Greater Works" (ML #3267, GN 869), "Intimate Details of My Life" (ML #3268, GN 870), "Feast 2000 Consecration Ceremony" (ML #3269, GN 871) and the "Ask Me Everything" series (ML #3270-3272, GN 872-874).
The "Era of Action" series: March 2000 (ML #3288-3290, GN 882, 883, 886).
"The Action Series," majoring on Activated, began in June 2000 (ML #3298, GN 895).
2001:
Feast 2001 consisted of: "Nothing Is Impossible" (ML #3316, GN 920), "Rise Above" (ML #3317, GN 921) and "The Keys to the Kingdom" (ML #3318, GN 922).
The "Leadership Lessons" series began to be published in May (ML #3347, GN 941), as well as GNs containing lessons from Juan, Stephen and Abner. (See ML #3344-3346, GN 938-940.)
"Conviction versus Compromise" series: September through October 2001 (ML #3361-3366, GN 957-960‚ 963, 969).
Prayer and Fast Day: November 2001.
2002:
Feast 2002 consisted of: "Focus on the Power" (ML #3374, GN 971), "Keys Turned to Swords" (ML #3375, GN 972)‚ "Full Possession" (ML #3376, GN 973)‚ "The Gift of Heavenly Thought Power" (ML #3377, GN 974) and "Vows of Surrender Ceremony" (ML #3378, GN 975).
"Reach the Rich": May 2002 (ML #3400, GN 992).
"The Professionals": May 2002 (ML #3399, GN 993).
Mama and Peter appear on video: July 2002.
"Pray, Obey and Prepare" and Study month focusing on the basics: October and November 2002 (ML #3420-3427, GN 1007-1010).
2003:
Feast 2003 consisted of: "According to Your Praise Be It Unto You" (ML #3432, GN 1015), "What Is Jesus Worth to You" (ML #3433, GN 1016)‚ "Obliterate Obstacon" (ML #3434, GN 1017), and "Heavenly Key Craft" (ML #3435, GN 1018).
"Issues 15: Timothy's Testimony" (ML #3444‚ GN 1029) reminded us once again of the importance of our decisions and the need for yieldedness.
Here is a recap of the earlier part of this timeline:
From "Our Activated Future," April 2000
6. (Peter:) The Lord called the days at the beginning of the Charter and after Dad's Homegoing the days of choice. In "The Shakeup 2000" He said, "I've laid choices before My children over the past years. I've told them that they could make their own choices, and that they would have to live with the consequences of their choices. Now they must make what amounts to their final choice—the choice of how much they will serve Me‚ how dedicated they will be, how much they're willing to sacrifice to uphold the standard, to live My Words" (ML #3257:207; GN 857).
7. For a number of years we were going through the days of choice. The Lord has been clear in His Word as to the types of choices He wanted us to make—choices of love, yieldedness‚ faith and obedience. Depending on the choices each of you made, you've either drawn closer to the Lord and His ways or pulled away. The sum of your choices has brought you to where you are today.
8. This five-year period, from the time of the implementation of the Charter until now, culminated in the S2K, which brought the biggest choice that each person in the Family had to make: a) To remain in the CM Family and commit yourself to uphold the spirit of the Word and the Charter as described in the Charter membership contract; b) To remain in the Family, but become a Fellow Member; or c) To no longer continue in the Family.
9. Everybody has made many choices during the last five years, and those choices have put them on certain paths and taken them in certain directions.
10. The Shakeup brought some big questions: "Do you want to be in the Family or don't you? Do you want to serve the Lord as a full-time disciple or not? Are you here for the Lord or the lifestyle?" We don't want people in the CM Family who are here only for the lifestyle. We can't move ahead into this era of action with lifestyle types in our ranks. We need people who are going forward‚ who are here because they love Jesus, because He's their Husband, because they know that this is God's will for them, because they have the desire to reach the lost, because they are disciples, believers‚ followers and teachers of God's Word!
11. The Lord also called the last five years the days of preparation in the spirit—the days of practice, the days of getting ready for what's ahead. The main components of these days of preparation have been the new weapons, some of the primary ones being praise, prophecy, and loving Jesus intimately, living the Law of Love to the full, and the weapon of weakness‚ meekness and humility.
12. During this period the Lord repeatedly encouraged us to prepare by practicing with these new weapons, trying them out, getting used to them, learning how to use them properly. It was a time to exercise love, humility‚ unity, yieldedness, obedience, prayerfulness and the strength of weakness. We've all probably wondered from time to time exactly what was the purpose of the days of preparation. What were we preparing for?—The era of action!
13. The Lord gave us these years to learn, to grow, to make choices, to exercise our individual faith, to see if we would obey Him and His Word not just because our leadership said so, but because it's the right thing to do, the best thing to do. He's given us time to learn how to praise Him, to love Him intimately‚ and to hear from Him in prophecy. He's tested our obedience, yieldedness and prayerfulness. And the reason He's done that is so we would be ready for the things He has for us in this era of action‚ this era we have just entered.
14. You might feel that you didn't prepare yourself enough during this time, or that you squandered those days and you aren't ready. Unfortunately, for some that is true. Some of you didn't use those years wisely and you aren't as prepared as you should be. The good news is that it's not too late! There's still time. If you're behind, if you haven't been fully on board in spirit, then start now. Work hard at using the new weapons‚ go back and reread the instructional Letters of the past five years, and begin applying the Word to your life today. It's not too late if you start now! (ML #3298:40-43, 45, 47-50‚ GN 895).
Warnings and Promises
1998:
From "Keynote to the 1998 Birthday Feast," January 1998
15. (Mama:) Our being willing to be one wife to the Lord and to all be married to each other brings about unity—the power of which, I think few of us recognize or realize! We've grown so accustomed to our lifestyle, where we are encouraged to give and take and bend for the sake of the good of all, that we don't realize what a tremendous miracle of God's Spirit it is when He can work in our lives as He chooses to, the end result of which is sweet unity! Not only is this unity much more powerful than many of us realize, but also much more important.
16. I'm sorry to say‚ however, that many of you don't have the unity in your Homes and areas that you should have. Our CO offices report that they are flooded with complaints about disunity! Apparently many of you waste time and become spiritually drained by bickering over petty things. You have serious problems working together, dividing witnessing areas, or sharing provisioning contacts. You hold grudges and find it difficult to forgive past mistakes. Singles often feel quite alone in our Homes due to a lack of sharing, communication, and living the One Wife vision. Young people are often lonely because they're ostracized by other young people who form cliques. JETTs and junior teens feel the YAs and SGAs don't understand them or relate to them. Nationals feel inferior and looked down upon‚ and many of our nationals, even those between the ages of 18 and the late 20s, feel they don't fit into the category of either the first or the second generation!
17. Worldwide we now have a lot of single family Homes. Many of you have that status not because you are pioneer Homes or Fellow members returning to Charter member status, but because you can't live and work together with others in unity, so you take what looks like the path of least resistance and you end up repeatedly dividing your Home, with some Home members moving on to a new or different Home, until you're finally left living in a single family Home.
18. One of our COs got so frustrated with the repeated serious problems with disunity in her area that she said, "We are the Family of Love‚ but where is our love? We are supposed to be a sample of love‚ but the truth of the matter is, we waste a lot of time in not getting along and bickering and not giving each other the benefit of the doubt. How can we be the Family of Love?"
19. How sad! Brethren‚ these things ought not so to be!
20. Unity is not just something that makes our lives more pleasant and helps our Homes run more smoothly, but unity is actually a power and a force that brings down the blessings of God! When we are united, we have round about us a mighty honor guard of angels! We become an unbeatable force in God's hands!
21. Unity isn't just something that's nice to have, simply because we've always been taught that the Lord can't bless disunity. Nor is it something unimportant that we can just not pay much attention to, and take an "if it come it come, and if it don't come it don't come" attitude toward. We can't ignore the issue or fail to put forth the necessary effort to be unified. Unity is a condition, a requirement, connected to the promises of God! If we want to be what He wants us to be‚ if we hope to continue to receive His bountiful provision and protection, if we expect to fulfill the plan that He has for us in the future, the way to arrive at all those hopes and expectations is to travel the road of unity!
22. (Jesus speaking:) Unity creates a vacuum and pulls down the blessings of God! Unity has drawing power! And as you wish for your anointing, power and strength to grow in the Endtime, so must your unity grow.
23. It is not an option or just good advice—it is a requirement! It is the condition that I place upon My people. I can only pour out My blessing, My anointing, My protection and My provision, which brings My fruitfulness, in proportion to the unity that you demonstrate.
24. You must grow in unity. You must grow in oneness. You must become truly one wife if you are to succeed in the mission that I have set before you.
25. As you learn more of the unity that I desire, you may feel that the cost is great. But I say to you, beware, and be not foolish in your judgment. The price you pay for the unity that I seek is nothing compared to what you will lose if you refuse to seek and find such unity. (ML #3158:32-38, 78-81, Lifelines 24).
From "Goals for 1998‚" January 1998
26. (Peter: ) One of our greatest testimonies to outsiders is our unity.
27. But I'm sorry to say that in recent years the Enemy has greatly attacked our unity. We're not as united as we should be, and this is a very serious breach of our spiritual security, as well as a strong hindrance to our fruitfulness and even our personal happiness. Being unified is extremely important, because it brings down the Spirit of the Lord and His blessings.
28. From the beginning of the Family, Dad and the Lord laid down key foundation principles and beliefs that set the Family apart, and unfortunately, in many Homes and your personal lives you have strayed from these foundation principles. This has caused a great weakening of the Family overall, and our unity in particular.
29. Mama and I would like to set as goal number nine to create stronger unity. But in order to achieve that goal, we'll have to work on overcoming what we call roadblocks to unity.
30. This needs to be one of our united goals for the year of 1998 if we hope to be the strong soldiers and revolutionary Endtime army that the Lord wants us to be. We can't hope to be blessed with unity and overcome our weak areas by just going on business as usual. We have to wake up to the seriousness of the situation—that we're in danger of solidifying, becoming cold and lifeless, and even dying on the vine, unless we seriously consider, recognize, and go on the attack against these problems, these inroads of the Enemy which are weakening the foundation of the Family. On this subject the Lord said the following:
31. (Jesus speaking: ) Unity is one of the prime requisites for pulling down My blessings. If the Family is lacking unity, it's because they are disobedient in one or several areas. For to disregard or to pull away from the foundation principles of the children of David is disobedience, and this affects My being able to pour down My blessings as abundantly and richly as I would like to. One of the blessings that I long to give to My children is unity, because unity is one of the greatest testimonies to outsiders. It's also a source of happiness and contentment for My children.
32. Where unity is lacking there is heaviness of spirit, contention, unhappiness, and the freedom of My Spirit is not allowed to flow as I would wish or as My children desire. So many of the blessings of the Spirit, the things that really make the lives of My children happier and more fulfilled, depend upon obedience‚ unity and faith.
33. At this point in time there are many roadblocks to unity, for many have become selfish, self-centered and distant regarding the pillar beliefs or the foundation of the Word—the "old landmarks." (End of excerpt of message from Jesus.)
Summary List of Goals
34. (Peter:) To help us all remember the proposed goals for 1998, I'll list them here in point form.
Goal No. 1: Hear more from the Lord in prophecy.
Goal No. 2: Feed more deeply of the Word; take more time to read, understand, and absorb the New Wine.
Goal No. 3: Have more of an attitude of prayer; turn every thought into a prayer.
Goal No. 4: Be more praiseful, especially when we don't feel like praising. Praise without ceasing.
Goal No. 5: Love the Lord more intimately as His Bride; practice the "Loving Jesus" revelation more.
Goal No. 6: Love one another more.
Goal No. 7: Be constant witnesses.
Goal No. 8: Fight for our young people. (And for you young people: Make the decision to stay in the Family and be a sold-out disciple for Jesus.)
Goal No. 9: Gain greater unity; get rid of the roadblocks to unity.
Goal No. 10: Live the "One Wife" vision and Acts 2:44 and 45 more.
Goal No. 11: Overcome jealousy in all forms‚ including comparing negatively.
Goal No. 12: Live the Law of Love more fully.
Goal No. 13: Stay revolutionary!
Goal No. 14: Get rid of bitterness.
Goal No. 15: Be more unselfish.
Goal No. 16: Overcome the generation gap.
Goal No. 17: Have fewer lonely people in the Family.
Goal No. 18: Be open to shepherding.
(ML #3160:113,115‚117,118,123-126,254 Lifelines 24).
From "The Year of the Bottom Line," March 1998
35. (Dad speaking: ) Today is no longer the day of choosing to be yielded. It's no longer simply a nice thing to be‚ if you're feeling up to it. Today is the day of yieldedness—no ifs, ands or buts about it! If you're not yielded and going with the moves of the Spirit, you're just not going to make it. It's simply not optional anymore. You either do it or you don't make it. It's coming down to the bottom line very quickly, and this year is going to be the year of the bottom line!
36. How's that for some news? It's going to take a lot of our folks on the field hearing this straight out in order for them to get the point. Many of our folks have thought that they could just ride along, or that they would at least go for as long as possible without having to make these changes and implement these sacrificial ways of living in their lives. Well, their time has just about run out! The clock is ticking, the days are counting, and the New Year ushers out the old and rings in the new! I hope and pray that folks are ready. The Spirit of God does not wait for the whims of man. So ready or not, here it comes!
37. This year is going to be a moving year, and like I said, it's going to be a year of getting down to the bottom line, the brass tacks of sacrificial and loving living and giving. People are going to have to go through boot camp whether they like it or not. They're going to have to toe the line, like it or not. They're going to have to yield and obey, like it or not. They're going to have to hear from the Lord and implement what He says, like it or not. They're going to have to put aside their own selfish desires and commit themselves to loving others and putting the good of the Family first, like it or not.
38. But mark my words, if they would only do these things and quit worrying about what trouble and pain it's going to bring to their selfish selves, they'd be happy! What a revelation! People get so selfish and conceited and introverted and damn proud! They need to get their eyes off themselves and onto the needs of others!
39. There will be stretching and growing pains and adjustment blues, but we'll come through as finer gold. Anyone who wants to make it will make it! Every Family member can make it‚ if they'll only set their minds and hearts to making it. You don't have to be a spiritual giant to make it; you don't have to be a loving, concerned, outgoing person to make it; you don't have to be a topnotch witnesser to make it; you don't have to be a childcare genius to make it; you don't have to be a super "people person" or shepherd to make it; you don't have to be a natural at anything. All you have to be is willing! God can change your heart‚ your mind, your life, your spirit, and your mode of operation in a flash. Nobody has any excuse! Everyone can make it!
40. You can try to gentle people along like you have been for several years now, sharing with them a little here and a little there, or in some cases, giving them the full counsel of God, but allowing them to assimilate it at their own speed and in accordance with their personal hunger. But in many cases, that hasn't done the trick. You've still got people out there on the field who are way, way behind. You wonder, "How in the world‚ with all the wonderful Word we've given out, could people still be living in the dark ages spiritually? How come they're not on board with the new moves of the Spirit? How come they're still having the same old problems that we addressed a few years ago? How come they can't seem to move on?"
41. There are many reasons for this, but generally, people have just gotten lazy and comfortable, and they're dreading the changes that are going to come into their lives when they truly begin implementing the New Wine. Some have waited for almost too long now. Now things are coming down to the wire, and they're going to have to implement it all in one shot if they want to stay on board.
42. If they'd only trusted in the Lord's plan a bit more all along‚ they would have had more time to adjust to all these different moves of His Spirit. By now they'd be loving Jesus intimately, they'd be well along the road of utilizing prophecy for their everyday needs, and in many other areas they would be ahead as well. But they chose‚ in many cases, to wait until they really had to make the break with the old and enter the world of the spirit. So now they're going to pay the price for it, and that price is going to be increased difficulty. It's not impossible, and the Lord can certainly help them—and each one can make it—but they're going to have to yield in a much greater way, and all at once. That can be very tough for some people.
43. If they hadn't bellyached and complained from the beginning‚ and felt like they were exempt from having to be revolutionary and yielded to the New Wine, then they would have had more time to adjust to all these spiritual happenings, and they could've grown into the new day a little more slowly. Now those who aren't with it are going to have to jump to it, and get with it right away! This is what's going to cause a bit of a falling away, because some people won't think they can make it, and some won't want to make it.
44. Well‚ goodness‚ we sure don't want the folks who don't want to make it! But in some cases, you will lose some folks who could have made it had they heeded the call when the Lord originally issued it. It's not that these can't make it now, but because they think they can't, they won't put forth the effort. Choosing to obey and follow immediately when the Lord calls is part of the majesty of choice, and He doesn't force us. And yet sometimes we cling so tightly to the ability and privilege of making the wrong decisions. Alas! Some tears will be shed in Heaven over some of the wrong decisions that we were so determined to make. Lord help our folks!
45. Even if you've only taken tiny steps so far, as long as you keep saying yes, as long as you keep your eyes on the Lord, as long as you keep moving forward, you are guaranteed to make it! So don't be afraid or feel that you can't make it, because you can!—As long as you keep moving forward, trusting the Lord, saying yes‚ and forging ahead.
46. Don't worry, Honey‚ there was nothing that you could have done about those who haven't said yes and moved forward. You gave the Word, and so much of it, and so lovingly. I can't figure out myself why some of these folks haven't gotten on the stick sooner. I mean, it's almost unbelievable! I know they have problems and are human and all, but they've had a lot of input and training, and they should know by now that they need to stay on the move with God.
47. Well, if their hearing has become dull and their eyesight has grown dim, this coming year is going to bring in some changes and mighty revelations which will flash before them like lightning, and will sound in their ears like a mighty thundering! Believe me, they'll perk up! Then they can make their decision. Yes, it will be a year of decision–making.
48. The Lord takes each one where they're at. But in general, this is going to be the year for most people to make their decisions, for the majority of the Family to choose whether they're going to get on board with the new moves of the Spirit or not.
49. Just think what a blessing it's going to be to have the Family all on board! Once the decisions are made and folks get over the hump, things will fall into place much more easily, and the Lord will have more control in everyone's lives. It's imperative that people get on board, because all the little chess pieces—each Family member—need to be yielded and willing in order for the Master Chess Player to be able to move them wherever He wants to.
50. In this game of the Last Days, it's not enough to just be passive in the spirit, waiting for the Lord to change you. He'll do the work and the changing‚ yes, but you need to be desiring it, wanting it, willing, open, and eagerly desiring the Lord's will and the fruits of His Spirit and the New Wine! We're coming down to the home stretch and the ante is being upped! The level of dedication and commitment has been heightened.
51. The essence of all that is that the only way to obtain the victory is to go through the battles and the testing. Don't let go or stop short of the goal! Hang on to the victory, keep the faith, and believe me, you'll make it and be a winner for Jesus! (End of message from Dad) (ML #3176:54-66, 70–73, GN 781).
From "The Lord's Plea: 'Be a Missionary for Me,'" February 1998
52. (Jesus speaking:) You, the oldest of My younger generation, must realize the responsibility that is on your shoulders. You must realize that each person that follows you will be affected by you and your sample. Perhaps those older than you who were before you have not been the best samples, and yes, I hold them accountable for the mistakes they made. But what is that to thee? Follow thou Me! (End of message from Jesus) (ML #3178:6‚ GN 783).
From "Trash Your Trinkets and Head for the Hills," April 1998
53. (Dad speaking:) Will you be one whose last words will be, "If I only had"? "If I had only forsaken my trinkets and toys of the world! If I had only forsaken my selfish desires. If I had only forsaken my lust for material comfort. If I had only forsaken my desire for System knowledge. If I had only learned to live together with others. If I had only taken up the challenge to be a missionary for Jesus!" Will you be one who only saw the promises of God from afar off? Or will you be one who is persuaded of them and embraces them?
54. If you aren't willing to strip yourself of your false cover-ups, your layers and layers of unnecessary clothing and gadgets‚ then you're not going to be of much use to the Lord anywhere, let alone on the mission field. In fact, anyone who stubbornly clings to the things of this world and refuses to yield certain parts of their life to the Lord is not going to last in this Kingdom of the Family very long.
55. Time is getting shorter, folks! How many times do I have to tell you this before you're going to take me seriously? How many times does the Lord have to tell you that time is short before you start acting like you believe Him? There's coming a time real soon when everyone is going to have to toe the line and give their all to Jesus. Even the world is going to have to humbly submit to the Lord soon enough, so it's going to happen, beloved. It's going to happen!
56. The Lord is giving you a head start now by requiring a greater level of dedication from you. He's giving you an easy way out by allowing you to buckle under and toe the line and forsake the weights that are holding you down right now before the tough days of the End begin.
57. He wants you to forsake the weights and any problems‚ hang-ups, attitudes, worldly ways, or areas of unyieldedness that are holding you down. He wants you to take stock of your life and prayerfully consider which areas you need to grow in and be strengthened in, and what areas of your life you need to change in, because He wants to give you a head start. He wants you to take off the weights so that you can begin running with ease now, without the things that hold you down and hinder you.
58. The time's coming, folks, when you'll no longer be able to do as you please. There's coming a time real soon when you won't want to make one wrong move. You won't want to take one step without the Lord's guidance. You're going to want to be as close to the Lord as you can get, so you'd be wise to get rid of whatever it is in your personal life that's keeping you from being a do-or-die soldier. You'd better get rid of whatever is distancing you from the Lord, the Word, or the Family.
59. The Lord has made a call for everyone to be missionaries, and not just missionaries‚ but His disciples. The call is to be followers of Jesus, not followers of the world. The goal is to be followers of the Word, not followers of our own selves. The goal is to be a disciple, and whatever it takes for you to be a sold-out follower of Jesus, then that's what you need to do!
60. The steps to becoming a dedicated follower of Jesus once again will be different for everyone. For some of you there will be more steps to take than others. For some the steps will be a little more difficult than for others. But I'm telling you, there are steps for everyone to take. No one is exempt, and everyone needs to take a good, hard look at their individual lives and make the changes necessary to be a disciple, to be a missionary.
61. If you're going to give your life to Jesus, then why not go all the way? He went all the way to the cross for you. He bled and died for you! He came to this ungodly Earth and He took upon Himself the form of a man and walked this dusty road called life all because of you. He was touched with the feeling of your infirmities. He was persecuted and got weary of sacrifice, but He did it for you—just you. He did it out of love for you—just you.
62. Will you take up the cross that He's given to you, and only you? Will you walk this dusty road of life even if you're weary of sacrifice, out of love for your Lord and Lover Who gave His life for you? Will you pick up the cross of dying to yourself and carry it, just like He carried His cross up to Calvary for you? You have only one life to live for Jesus, and this life on Earth is slowly coming to a close. This life, this world and all that it has to offer‚ will soon be no more, and all that you'll have left will be the memories of your life for Jesus, your life as His disciple, your life as His missionary, and the fruits thereof in the form of His spiritual and physical children.
63. It's such a small thing to give up the things that are holding you down and hindering your usefulness to the Lord, when you look at things this way. To think that the Lord is going to honor you when He comes in the glory of the clouds of Heaven‚ if you're not ashamed to be called His and His alone and come out from among the world and be separate! But if you choose to be counted with the world and you're ashamed of Him and His Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, then the Lord's going to be ashamed of you when He comes in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory.
64. You have only one life, and only what's done for Jesus and for lost souls will last! Make your life count and make an investment by being a 110% disciple and missionary for Jesus! It will last forever and you'll never regret giving your life to the One Who gave His whole life for you. I love you! (End of message from Dad) (ML #3186:28, 31-37, 45-48‚ GN 791).
From "Stop the Gossip Now,"
April 1998
65. (Dad speaking:) Gossip is a killer! Gossip is destructive! Gossip is one of the Enemy's favorite ploys to get people's minds off the Lord, the Word, and the positive‚ and onto the juicy little details of others' lives.
66. You're hurting your brothers and sisters by doing this, and you're breaking God's laws to love them and do good to them! So the Lord could say to you what a policeman tells a lawbreaker or criminal when he arrests him: "You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can be held against you!" And let me tell you, the Lord has a record of every single one of those words! So exercise your right to remain silent now and you won't have to face the great Judge of all someday and explain why you thought you had a right to gossip.
67. It all comes down to needing more love! If people had more love, consideration and respect for each other, then they wouldn't talk behind each other's backs. They wouldn't gossip! So Lord help us to all have more love!
68. We just need to pray that some of our folks get a little more fear of God instilled in them in this area!—That they'll see and understand how gossiping displeases the Lord, how it hurts others, and in essence tears down the love, cooperation, respect, unity and fruitfulness that we're trying to build together as a Family! God help us!
69. Another thing it shows is that our folks need to get their eyes a little more on why we're here, and on the fact that time is short! If they were really staying in the Word and busy reaching the world and getting the job done, they wouldn't have so much time to be so concerned with what everybody else is doing, and especially all the negative!
70. It's because they don't really have the vision, and they don't really have their priorities straight. They have their eyes too much on this world and the little happenings, and the Enemy uses this as an inroad to get in his input in all these little things. He uses this to take their eyes off the main goal of why we're here, why we're a Family, why we live so close together, and why we have such unity and openness amongst each other—which is to win the world! Instead, he tries to get in and use all that closeness and openness and feeling free with each other negatively, instead of in the positive way that the Lord has meant it to be! So it really is quite serious.
71. You gossipers had better beware! Maybe you think I don't hear the tales and some of the lies you're spreading around, but I know about your gossiping! Shame on you! The Lord hears every word that you say, and you're going to be held accountable for it! (End of message from Dad.)
72. (Dad speaking: ) I'm not gonna beat around the bush here—I'm gonna give you the ol' short‚ sharp shock treatment! And the bottom line is this: If this rumor mill and gossip ring doesn't stop, I'm gonna put a stop to those who are guilty! I want it to stop, and I want it to stop right now!
73. Beloved, God's Word has a lot to say about talebearers, and we're not going to tolerate them in this Family! The words of a talebearer are like deep wounds. This gossip, this perverseness of the tongue‚ as God's Word calls it, is a great breach in the spirit, and we're gonna close this breach right here and now! I'm not gonna stand for this corrupt communication amongst our members! Let me tell you, we're gonna pull out the stops on those who are guilty before it destroys the work of God! This unruly evil that is running wild is like a deadly poison, and I'm gonna call on the entire Family to put a stop to it now, before it defiles the whole body!
74. Do you know what Jesus had to say about those who offend even the littlest ones of His children? He said it would be better for a millstone to be put around their neck and that they be cast into the depths of the sea! Do you know what Jesus Himself said about offences? If your hand or foot offend, it's better to cut it off! If your eye offend, pluck it out! Those are some pretty drastic measures, aren't they?
75. Well, I've got news for you! I'm gonna take some pretty drastic measures if this doesn't stop! If all this gossiping and badmouthing doesn't stop, we're gonna cut you off! I've never been one to tolerate rotten apples in the past, and I'm not gonna start now!
76. You can call this another bad apple clean out if you want, but I want it to stop, and I want it to stop now! If the shoe fits, wear it! If I hear or see anybody from now on spreading gossip‚ and thereby sowing dissension, disunity and discord amongst your brethren—we're gonna take some drastic action to cut you off from the Family! Beloved, these are abominations to God, they're abominations to me, and I will not tolerate it in this Family!
77. No one who is going around spreading corrupt communication [gossip] belongs in this outfit, and that's that! And if you're listening to these dirty dirges, you're just as guilty! We've addressed the subject of love and unity plenty in the Letters, and you all have had ample warning. Maybe what you didn't see was the extent that this gossip is tearing down the very foundation of what we're trying to build as a Family—love, respect‚ trust, unity and harmony! So we're not gonna tolerate willful and unloving gossip in this Family anymore!
78. I'm not gonna stand for it! I'm not gonna stand for this ugly gossip that's hurting others, hurting your brethren, and hurting the work of God!
79. Anyone who is guilty and who does not repent and show fruits of repentance, I'm gonna say good riddance to bad rubbish—we don't need you here! Anybody who continues on in this kind of behavior does not belong to this missionary work! Anybody who insists on ignoring the Letters‚ and does not at least strive to follow all the loving advice and counsel that the Lord and I and Mama and Peter have given on this subject, has no place in this outfit!
80. Get out your Charters and read'm! Are you endeavoring to live by the principles of the Law of Love? Are you trying to love and care for and interact lovingly and harmoniously with your brethren?
81. Love does no harm to your brethren, folks! Love doesn't gossip or spread the intimate matters of others around. Love doesn't badmouth and spread rumors! This is not according to the Law of Love! So there you have it. If you'll just read your Love Charter, you might find that if you're a guilty party to this ongoing, malicious gossip going around, you're breaking the Charter rules on interacting lovingly and harmoniously with other Family members, and by causing physical, spiritual or emotional harm to others, your Charter membership could be in question for failing to live up to your responsibilities as a Charter member!
82. I'm not gonna put up with gossips in this Family! And if this doesn't stop‚ even if I have to kick every last one of you out, I will! Let this serve as fair warning!
83. Anybody in this Family who continues on in their own wayward ways of gossip and backbiting and badmouthing, spreading rumors and meddling in the private, intimate matters of others, anybody who continues to make a habit out of letting their tongues run wild and telling tales after having received ample warning, is gonna be disciplined! This is not the place for you. If you want to gossip and slander others, go to the churches! If you insist on carrying on in this ungodly behavior, go to the System where there's plenty of it, and where you can get your belly full of it and have all you want! (ML #3187:5‚ 9, 16-19, 22, 41-42, 51–53, 62, 65-66, 70-73, GN 792).
From "Killer?—Or Healer?
—What Is Your Tongue?" April 1998
84. (Dad speaking: ) If you could see a hazard or accident coming and you could avoid a broken arm or leg, a twisted ankle‚ a bad scrape, burn or bruise, you would certainly avoid it at all costs, wouldn't you? If you knew in advance and could change the circumstances that would cause you or someone else to have that accident and be laid up with a broken bone or a bad wound of some kind, you'd do everything in your power to do so, wouldn't you?
85. Well, folks, let me tell you‚ you can avoid some of the worst accidents that are prevalent in the world today—and certainly some of the worst accidents that are happening in our Homes! Do you know how? One of the very worst diseases and sicknesses that's being passed around today among our Homes is that of a wounded heart! Beloved, this has gotta stop, lest you be responsible for gravely wounding another's heart!
86. Some of our own folks are being wounded in the very worst way they can possibly be wounded, and I want it to stop! These hurts and wounds are the most severe of all, because you can't always see them. They're not necessarily outward wounds, so this makes them all the harder to detect and remedy. These are internal wounds and the hardest of all kinds to heal. They take the longest time and the tenderest care to heal. These are wounds to the heart and soul, scars to the heart caused by an unkind word, an unprayerful comment, an unthoughtful remark. They're deep wounds that leave deep, dark, ugly scars. I'm seeing them on many a heart, and God help you if you are the cause!
87. Did you know that every one of you possess the power of life and death? All of you have the power to give life or to bring death, and it's all contained in that little tiny member—that tongue of yours! Do you realize that the Devil knows the power of the tongue? And he's out to get your tongue in hopes he can put it to use to do his own dirty work! You can bet Satan is trying to cash in on this most lethal weapon—and he even tries to trick you, God's Own children‚ into shooting those weapons off in the direction that he wants them to go so he can gain ground.
88. I want to ask each and every one of our folks: Which way are you shooting the weapon of your tongue? Are you shooting it toward the Enemy and casting him down with the truth of God? Or are you haphazardly aiming at your own brethren, indiscreetly and indiscriminately shooting at them with "friendly fire"? God forbid!
89. Each of you possess the power of life and death! God's Word makes it very clear. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Pro. 18:21). You each have a tongue, don't you? Well‚ if you have a tongue, then you possess the power of life or death! I want to ask each and every Family member right now what your tongue is doing. Are you using your tongue to give life, or are you using it to bring death and destruction?
90. The power of life and death is in the tongue! And if you're using your tongue to speak ill of your brother or sister, to talk down about them or to them, to cause hurt, God help you!
91. Let me warn you‚ of all the weapons of war the world has ever known, the tongue‚ that tiny little member of your body, is the deadliest of all! It's set on fire of Hell, folks! "It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Deadly poison, because it can be the cause of the most deadly of all sicknesses, the deadliest of all diseases, because it's capable of breaking hearts! A broken heart, a wounded spirit, who can bear? Are you going around wounding spirits with your loose tongue? God forbid!
92. It's time to check your hearts, folks! Are you blessing God and cursing men at the same time with your tongue? Anyone in our Homes who is going around with a loose tongue‚ spouting off whatever comes to mind without prayerfully considering the consequences‚ had better get down to brass tacks and study up on what God's Word has to say about the tongue!
93. My mother used to preach on the power of the tongue, and she'd always remind her audience that there are seven things that God hates. If you don't think that God is capable of hating, read what it says in His Book! God hates evil, beloved! You'd better believe it! And do you know that of the seven things that God hates, nearly half of them have to do with the tongue?
94. Do you realize that you're gonna have to give account for every idle word that comes out of your mouth? I want you to think about that the next time you're tempted to say an unkind word to or about your brother or sister! Every idle word! That's E-V–E-R-Y—every word! How's that for an awesome thought! This is not an exaggeration, folks! The Lord means what He says! Every idle word!
95. Do you know what an "idle word" is? An idle word is anything that doesn't minister faith, hope, or love to the hearer. An idle word is one that curses instead of blesses, that tears down instead of builds up, that ministers hurt and harm instead of peace and joy.
96. By the words that you speak, you're gonna be justified or condemned. "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Jesus Himself said it, and you can read it in Matthew 12:34-37. Now, if that's not a sobering thought to wake you up and knock some sense into your heads and put some good healthy fear of the Lord into your hearts‚ I don't know what will! I hope this will wake you up, shake you up, and knock those blinders off your eyes that the Devil has put there!
97. It's all being written down in a great big book, folks—every word that you say! If you're fool enough to think that you'll not be held accountable for your words and your actions, you've got a mighty big surprise coming!
98. Your words will bless or they will curse—which do you choose to utter? Are you speaking vanities, words that are causing hurt? Are you badmouthing others, uttering all your mind like a fool? Are you cursing others with your tongue? Are you giving your mouth to evil by speaking deceitful and proud things about your brothers and sisters? Are you smiting another with your tongue? Are you gossiping or slandering with your tongue? Is your tongue like a sword, wounding the hearts of others? Are you speaking mischievous things? Is your mouth speaking foolishness, to where your tongue is causing mischief? Are you causing madness with your tongue? (See Ecc.5:7; Pro.29:11; Psa. 10:7; 50:19; Pro.10:18; 12:18; Psa.38:12; Pro.17:20; Ecc.10:13.)
99. Or are your words pleasant like the honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones? (Pro.16:24). The tongue of the wise gives health, folks! Your very health, or the health of those around you, could be dependent on the words that you speak! Which do you want to bring—life or death? A wholesome tongue, one that speaks kind words, is like a tree of life. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver (Pro.15:4; 25:11).
100. For the sake of others, watch your words! For your own sake—your very life's sake—watch your words! They'll bless or curse, they'll lift up or tear down. What are your words doing? Will you pray this prayer along with me and make it your prayer each and every day of your life? "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer!" Hallelujah! (ML #3188:12-14‚ 18-20‚ 25, 29-31, 37-40, 51-52, 58, GN 793).
From "Charter Responsibilities,"
July 1998
101. (Peter:) F. Endeavor to live by the principles of the Law of Love: To love and care for, and interact lovingly and harmoniously with all members of the Home in which they reside and with Family members at large.
102. This is a responsibility that should govern your everyday life and interactions with others. You are supposed to endeavor—which means to make an earnest attempt—to be loving to others, to care for them, to work in harmony together with them. When you "put skin" on this, it means that you are to act lovingly and harmoniously with those you live with in your Home‚ whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not‚ whether they're young or old, whether your personalities conflict or not.
103. As a Charter member you're expected to love those within your Homes as you love yourself, to do your very best to act in love towards one another. This means you don't criticize them, you don't gossip about them, you don't yell at them, but rather you go out of your way to love them. Take a look at yourself and the way you interact with others in your Home and other Family members. Are you treating them in love? Are you being kind to them? Are you trying to lift them up or tear them down? As Dad said, you may not always like everyone that you live with, but you're expected to love them with God's love. You're expected to treat them decently, with courtesy, respect and kindness.
104. We've heard about many who have acted very unloving toward others. We've even heard of brethren who won't speak to each other because they have grudges, complaints and bitterness against each other. We've heard of Homes who won't have anything to do with another Home because of unloving acts that have occurred between them. We've heard of FGAs being very unloving toward teens and other young people, and we've heard of young people being very critical, talking back to and being ugly toward older Family members. There's been a great deal of criticism‚ sarcasm, gossip and hurtful words being said amongst some of you younger ones.
105. These unloving acts go against the Charter. We are supposed to be a Family of love, a Family that does its best to support and care for one another‚ to have mercy and compassion on one another. If you don't—if you're lashing out at others and tearing them down, or if you have no desire to treat the others in your Home with love—then perhaps you're not fit to be a Charter member.
106. T. Refrain from activities or behavior that would be a reproach to the cause of Christ and/or reflect negatively on the Family.
107. Clause T states that you are to refrain from activities or behavior that would be a reproach to the cause of Christ‚ or reflect negatively on the Family. If you engage in activities which are not in accordance with the Charter, if you act in a manner that isn't Christlike, if you are a reproach to your Home or to the Family at large, you are not fulfilling your responsibility as a Charter member.
108. Dealing deceptively with each other or outsiders, stealing, shoplifting and getting drunk are examples of unchristian activities and certainly are a reproach to the cause of Christ and to the Family. Using foul or unacceptable language, or having a dirty‚ slovenly or unkempt appearance reflects negatively on the Family, as does going out dressed in a manner that is not acceptable in the country in which you're living. If you want to be a Charter member, then you need to be a positive reflection of the Family instead of a negative one.
109. As a Family member, you represent the Family to others. If you're disrespectful to outsiders or if you act in an ungodly manner, people will take what you do as a representation of our entire Family. Their impression of the whole Family—and in some cases, of Jesus and of Christianity—can be spoiled because of you and your bad sample.
110. If you are being a reproach to the Lord or the Family, then you need to shape up in spirit and deed or ship out! If you act in an un-Christlike, or un-Family manner on a regular basis, then why be part of the Family? If you act, talk, dress and conduct yourself just like the world, then perhaps the world is where you belong.
111. We have a standard to uphold as Christians and Family members. We do have rules, regulations, and responsibilities that every Charter member is expected to adhere to and obey. You're here of your own choice, and if you believe this is where the Lord has called you and wants you to be, you should live up to your Charter membership requirements. You're a Christian, so act like one! You're a Charter member‚ so act like one! That's your responsibility; it's expected of you. The Lord expects it, and we do as well! (ML #3197:89–92, 134-138, GN 803).
From "The Weakness Revolution,
Part 1‚" November 1998
112. (Mama: ) This past year, as the Lord Himself termed it, has been the "year of the bottom line." As the GN by the same name explained, it was ordained to be a year of choices. (See ML #3176, GN 781.) The standard that our Husband and Shepherd wants us to abide by has been clearly laid out in a number of GNs, including "Charter Responsibilities," "The Spiritual Health Revolution," "You Are What You Watch," "Trash Your Trinkets‚" "Quiet Time—Your Lifesaver," "Eat Right," and many more. Recent GNs have covered nearly every aspect of our spiritual life‚ growth and walk with the Lord, as well as our inter-Home relations and interactions with others. Through this counsel He has provided solutions to many of the problems the Family faces. The Lord has given the solutions and keys to victory for each of these weak areas, if we will only reach out and avail ourselves of them. This is what the Lord has been begging us to do.
113. As we know from the Word, no one has an automatic guarantee that they'll remain in the Family! There are no guarantees that anyone will remain yielded to the Lord forever; it's a choice that each of us has to make anew each day.
114. As you know, the Lord indicated that 1998 would bring a shaking of the tree and a clear laying out of the guidelines and standard for everyone. This "year of the bottom line‚" as He called it, would bring everyone in the Family to a crossroads, to a point of choice and decision-making. As a result, you've probably found yourself in situations or circumstances where you've had to decide whether or not you would be willing to sign your name on that blank sheet of paper and recommit your life to the Lord.
115. This challenge has not disappeared now that 1998 has drawn to a close. The Lord is asking you to decide which way you're going to go. Are you going to follow closely, or will you drift away? Will you do everything in your power to stay in the Lord's highest will?
116. (Jesus speaking:) The standard has been set; the foundation has been laid. All My children are now held accountable for the multitude of Words that I have poured out. They are without excuse, and they cross the threshold of the new year aware of all that I will require of them.
117. If they are yielded to My voice and have accepted My Words, and have committed themselves to living them, then I will greatly empower them and prosper them at every turn. I will strengthen and anoint and make their way fruitful. But those who do not obey My Word or My leading will not weather the year ahead. For if they choose to obey not, they also choose to forfeit a measure of the protection of My Spirit, and they will lack the stamina and the strength to continue on as they have in the past.
118. Those who allow doubts to creep into their hearts and minds, and who do not vigorously fight to wash them away with the cleansing power of My Word will become weakened, for they chose to entertain the Devil's lies and untruths. Beware, for small unyieldednesses and disobediences grow to greater ones. If you are not moving forward, then you are moving backwards. This is how the Enemy can weaken even those of you who are strong, if you let go of the protection of My Spirit when you choose to disregard My Word or to not allow it to penetrate your heart. It is a result of your own choices, if you refuse to let Me in to clean out the garden of your heart.
119. This coming year will be the year of choices and the year of strengthening. Depending on your choices, you shall either be strengthened or weakened. The strength of My protection and spiritual force field comes from the choices you make to yield, to sacrifice, to give, to love, to forsake your pride and your independence, to live the One Wife vision, to care for others as you would yourself, to humble yourself before Me and your Family. The choices which strip you of your spiritual force field and disarm My protection in your life are those choices of selfishness, pride, withholding‚ covering up, dishonesty, laziness in spirit, jealousy, a hunger for the world and its material goods‚ a lack of fearing Me, straying from the counsel of My Word, mocking My messengers or My voice in living prophecy, and seeking for your own gain and comfort.
120. Therefore search your heart as to whether you can make one choice this year: the choice to say yes. You may not feel that you can live up to all the wonderful qualities which I would that you strive for‚ but don't worry about how you feel; just trust, for I promise that I won't make it too hard for you. If you will but yield and say yes, and be willing to do so time and again, I will put the love‚ humility, happiness and unselfishness within your heart. But if you cannot make the choice to yield in all things by faith‚ as coming from a willing heart and mind, though you know not how you will make it, then I say unto you that you will not benefit from the strengthening that I hold for you in this coming year.
121. If you can make the difficult choice to choose and accept My will above your own, then I will set you about with good things. I will hedge you about with the fruits and treasures of My Spirit. I will spoil you with spiritual delights and riches of happiness and joy. I will heap upon you goodness and mercy. I will give you understanding and love in your teamworks, and trust and faith amongst your brethren, that your work may prosper and multiply exceedingly. All this will I give to you, if you will but say yes to Me. (End of message from Jesus.) (ML #3218:5, 9-11, 19-24, GN 819).
From "Cast Your Cares on Him,"
August 1998
122. (Jesus speaking:) The demands on the children of David are more than the demands on My other children, because the children of David are accountable for the Word they know, their vision is greater, their expectations are higher, their ministries are more complicated, and they are more effective. So the Enemy does all he can to try to defeat them.
123. This is a time of war! It is a time of sacrifice‚ for it is a time of much preparation for the days which are to come, and I am asking you to work My works while it is day‚ knowing that the night comes when no man can work as you can today.
124. Do not listen to the lying vanities of the Evil One who tries to convince you that you can't make it. If you believe these lies of the Enemy, you forsake your own mercy as you give place to the Enemy. Know that I am your Husband, your Provider‚ your Shepherd. Have I not promised to give you all that you need? You do not know the future. You don't see all that I have in store for you, but believe Me, if you hold on, if you wait on Me with trusting faith, you will see the solutions to the problems, deliverance from burnout, and I will continue to give you the desires of your heart. (End of message from Jesus.)
125. (Jesus speaking:) The Enemy has upped the ante; his attacks are more vicious. Maybe you were able to get by with some things in the past without feeling such negative results, but that is no longer the case. The Enemy will take advantage of any disobedience, any lack of balance‚ any unprayerfulness, any delay in heeding My counsel or direction, to strike a blow that will be much more deadly and inflict much more harm than in previous times. I have allowed him this power, for it is part of the preparation of My children.
126. I know that the warfare intensifies, the battles are greater, the stakes are higher. So I let My children see the results of their disobediences and wrong choices and mistakes more clearly, because this serves to reinforce the good training that I am giving them, and helps them to see that I mean business, that My Word is true, that these aren't vain, empty warnings. When I say the Enemy goes about as a roaring lion‚ that the battles are hotter, the blows more devastating‚ the need for prayerfulness and yieldedness greater, these are not just pretty, poetic, inspiring‚ challenging words, but this is a true description of what's going on in spirit!
127. So you must walk soberly and in the fear of Me‚ knowing that something you may have gotten away with in the past could today bring dire results. When I say that I want to be in first place, that you must have your quiet time and time with Me to sit at My feet and to receive My instruction, when I say that the spiritual health revolution is your lifesaver—this is exactly what I mean. (End of message from Jesus) (ML #3242:162, 167, 170, 193–195, GN 844).
1999:
From "To My Latin Loves, No.2," February 1999
128. (Jesus speaking: ) My beloved Latin bride, I have sent King Peter as My minister of love and mercy. He is My love to you. As he loves you, so do I love you. But he is also My messenger, bound by his oath of faithfulness to Me, to tell the truth. Unbeknownst to you, his visit was delayed by My hand, because I wanted to give you the nth degree of mercy and allow you the opportunity to partake of the messages given from Queen Maria about unity from various angles—first the Feast messages of 1998‚ the Goals of 1998 and 1999, the Law of Love study months, and then the Feast of 1999.
129. I wanted to give you time to let My Words work in your heart, to prepare you and explain to you what I am expecting of you. I wanted to see how you would respond. You made progress in some ways, but not as much as you needed to. You felt the conviction of My Words when you read them, but in many cases you remained hearers of the Word rather than doers of it. You chipped away at the walls that divided you, but they remained walls, strong and tall and divisive.
130. Now I know you are fully accountable due to the Words of truth that I have given you, and now I give you what could be a last warning to forsake your pride, bitterness and disunity. I know you realize in your heart that My Words of correction to you are justified, and I also know that you will take My Words to heart and desperately seek Me and strive to change in the ways that I am asking you to.
131. Of course, not every person is guilty, and even those who are guilty are not all the same—some are much more receptive and less resistant to My Spirit and the truth than others. Some are much more lifted up in pride and hardened in their hearts than others. But all of you need the message of repentance—either to move you to confess and forsake your sins; or to move you to accept the apologies of others‚ and to forgive; or to warn you of the dangers of pride, familiarity, bitterness‚ walking after the flesh and not after the spirit, looking to man instead of to the Letters.
132. So whether you feel you are guilty or not, please take these Words to heart and let Me wash you clean. (End of message from Jesus.)
133. (Jesus speaking: ) My dear children of South America, I have blessed you with a ripe and ready-to-reap field. Indeed‚ this field has been a ripe harvest field for some time now, and you, My Family, have been well received for the most part. I have blessed you with easy fruit, quick results, and a good supply line for your needs.
134. Although there are great benefits in this, My loves, and although these blessings are gifts of My love to all who are missionaries for Me in this continent, yet there are also drawbacks, things to watch out for, and battles which come with the territory which you must be aware of.
135. One main area which I am pointing out to you is the area of needing to follow My Word more closely. In many ways you have drifted away from this desperation for My Words. You have allowed your hunger for My Word to cool off, and you have not put the emphasis that is needed on enacting My New Wine that I pour out to you. You ask, "How? How could we drift away from the Word? What is the root of it?"
136. The primary cause of your losing your connection with the Word is pride. You must be humble in spirit and know you are nothing and can of yourselves do nothing to have the vacuum needed to sincerely and desperately suck from the Word and receive the message in such a way that it changes you—changes your attitudes, your actions‚ your Homes and your personal lives. Just as pride is at the root of your problems with disunity, so pride is the main hindrance that keeps you from being fed from the Word and receiving it wholeheartedly.
137. Yes, you read the Word‚ but not with the desperation of a rotten, weak, poor sinner who knows he's pitiful and hopeless without My help. Many read the Word without absorbing it and being changed by it. They read it for information and it fills their mind, but they do not feed deeply from it for the sake of their spirit. They have become terribly familiar with it and it has lost some of its effect.
138. Reading the Word is a habit, something you've grown accustomed to‚ but it's not as much a part of your living, breathing, warm relationship with Me, your Lover and Husband, as I wish it were. The GNs are My personal love letters to you. They're the main source of communication in our intimate relationship. But just as in natural human relationships, when pride is strong, it hinders the communication, and the proud one can hardly hear the words, reasoning or pleading of their lover.
139. There have been times when you‚ My Family in South America, have not benefited from the Word as you should, for you feel that you are so different, that your needs are different, and that no one understands you for who you are and what you are. This causes you to resist the conviction of My Word, so you do not see the results, and your hunger for it and dependence on it dwindle away.
140. Also, because I have given you a relatively receptive field‚ you have not always remained as close to Me as you should have. You have not always stayed as desperate‚ and thus as hungry for My Words and My counsel. You have had easy fruit—people receive your witness well, they appreciate the tools, they love to receive Me in their hearts.
141. Some of you have been lifted up in pride at your accomplishments in this field—the amount of tools you get out, the souls you win, the receptivity you encounter. You have taken it to mean that you have arrived, that you are doing so well that there is no need to stir yourself up any further. The work is already fruitful, you have your needs met, you are able to maintain—why strive for more?
142. I have sent your king unto you to show you that there are areas for you to improve in‚ and this will help to humble you and help you to feel the need for Me more strongly. This will help you in your preparations, if you will heed the warnings and begin digging into My Words as never before. My Words are your lifeline, and you must be practiced in receiving‚ applying and obeying them, if you wish to survive the days ahead! (End of message from Jesus.) (ML #3231b:208-212, 218-219‚ 221–226, 232, 234).
From "The Shakeup 2000—the S2K," July 1999
143. (Mama: ) The CM Family is very much in need of a cleansing. We cannot continue on as we are. I know you've sensed that there has been a gradual decline of purity, dedication and spirituality in the Family, and we're not what we used to be. You've probably witnessed example after example of compromise, lack of dedication, and refusal to live or even read the Word in many cases.
144. In a large percentage of our CM Homes, those of you who are following closely and wanting to do your best for the Lord and keep the CM standard are trying to live in unity and have a fruitful work with those who don't want to live the CM standard, or in some cases, don't even want to be in the Family.
145. We have many people in the CM Family today, both young and old, who have settled down to the point of being quite ineffective and almost totally without vision. It's not that those of you who fit in this category don't love the Family or believe the Word, but you've grown so weary, frustrated or lethargic that you no longer have the drive or desire to live the life of 100% dedicated discipleship, which is what the CM standard represents. In many cases you have not aggressively fought against the sins in your life which have so easily beset you, to the point that you're now quite compromised and lacking in faith, and you're not living up to the CM standard.
146. There are quite a few of our YAs and SGAs who don't seem to want to be in the Family, but who don't take the step to leave. That is somewhat understandable, of course, because you young people have been in the Family all your lives, and it would be a pretty big step to start out into something new. Even though you have to raise funds and work around the house and care for the children‚ it's a fairly easy and comfortable life when compared to being out on your own in the System, having to fend for yourselves in every area!
147. So even though some of you don't like Family life much, nor do you believe the Word, you don't mind putting up with it if you can live in the comfort and security of a Family Home while your heart and mind is in the System and you somehow manage to partake of its evils pretty much without limit. We've heard desperate report after desperate report about how rebellious, worldly senior teens and YAs, and in some cases SGAs as well, are being such a bad example to their younger brothers and sisters that our upcoming JETTs and children are being led astray faster than their parents and the other adults can even begin to rectify it.
148. The serious problems in the Family are not unique to the younger generation. I don't want to give the impression that it's primarily the senior teens and YAs, and even the SGAs to some extent, who are the only ones drifting further and further from the Lord and being pulled more and more toward the System, and the only ones who are causing a weakening of the CM Family.
149. Many of you FGAs also need to make some major changes in your lives. You're not being the samples you should be to your children and the young people; you've lost your fire to witness and put the Lord first; you've settled down with quite a compromised and worldly lifestyle, to the point that you're not endeavoring to apply the New Wine to your lives; you're not living the fundamental Family beliefs, and many of you are getting quite addicted to some pretty strong worldly influences that are stealing your precious time and affecting your spirits and attitudes quite negatively.
150. Many of you FGA parents are not shepherding your kids and not disciplining them, so their problems certainly can't be blamed entirely on the influence of the System. Some of our younger generation are going downhill because they're not being taught and guided; they're not seeing the sample in the older generation, so they're losing faith in the Word and the Family. Many of you FGAs are also prime culprits in the disunity, because you're holding on to past bitterness. You're sowing division through your negativity, gossip and backbiting.
151. There are situations around the world where the disunity is still so bad that the Homes in the same city or area can't work together. In fact, some of you within the same Home can't even work together! Your sample has fallen to such a low level that in some cases a visitor would hardly recognize that yours is a Family Home. Despite all that the Lord has said on the importance of unity, the disunity still exists on almost every level, to the point that the Lord is having to withdraw His blessings in some situations.
152. These are not new problems. In fact, Peter and I have been addressing these problems until we're practically blue in the face. The Lord and Dad have given repeated messages to stir you up and get you back on the attack in your life with the Lord, yet the problems continue. Some of you have made great progress‚ but others are still lagging behind. There hasn't been enough improvement in the Family overall, and now‚ because you're accountable for so much Word, you're more responsible.
153. Maybe some of you feel that we're in an era of taking a more permissive, less dedicated or radical approach to serving the Lord. You might have gotten the impression over the years since the Charter that under my and Peter's leadership you'd be able to get away with things indefinitely that would never have been countenanced when Dad was alive. That severe drop in the standard has disappointed some of you, but others have taken advantage of these years of change and personal freedom and decision-making in a way that we hadn't intended, and you've let the rights of the Charter serve your own selfish purposes.
154. As you were told at the onset of the Charter, one of the purposes of that document was to "float the faith" of each individual in the Family. Each person was going to show where his or her faith stood, as you were no longer held back by strict overseers and big blob combos from serving the Lord as you felt led. The red tape was done away with, and the Lord set you free to follow Him and obey the Word according to your own faith.
155. Now‚ almost five years later, it's time to once again examine where your faith lies. It's time to make some decisions. It's time to take a closer look at the Charter member standard once again and let each of you decide for yourself if you fit in, or if you'd be happier in the FM Family or even out of the Family altogether.
156. Our poor COs and VSs are running themselves ragged trying to take care of all the problems and keep things in line‚ when in reality many of the people causing those problems shouldn't even be in the CM Family, or perhaps not in the Family at all.
157. Though I was aware of these ongoing serious problems, and though Peter and I have addressed them in GN after GN, still the problems continue. Even at the last summit, Peter and the COs discussed at length the need to raise the standard of the CM Family—which amounted to requiring those in the CM Family to actually live the CM standard as it is put forth in the Charter. They also addressed the important issue of how those in the CM Family are expected to believe and live the GNs. Peter wrote a very important GN on that subject, entitled "Charter Responsibilities" (ML #3197‚ GN 803). It shouldn't be such a big surprise that the CM Family is expected to live the CM standard as noted in the Charter, and believe and live the Letters. But that was apparently quite a revelation to some‚ and it still seems to be news to many of you.
158. The bottom line is, if you don't want to live the CM standard, then why are you in the CM Family? You should instead be in the FM Family where much less is required of you—you aren't required to keep the Fundamental Family Rules, you can have sex with outsiders, you don't have to live communally and share all things, you can live more independently, and the list goes on and on. And if you don't believe the Letters, then what in the world are you doing in the Family at all? It's just that simple. If you mock the Letters and the Lord's revelations, if you don't believe that we're living in the Last Days, if you don't believe what the Lord has revealed to us about our role in world history as His Endtime witnesses‚ if you refuse to prepare for the days to come by using the new weapons, if you don't want to witness or work together to reach the world, if you refuse to be shepherded and grow spiritually, then why, for God's sake, are you in the Family!?
159. In all of this, you can't say that the Lord hasn't tried to prepare you, to warn you, to help you make the right choices. The Lord called 1998 "the year of the bottom line." As you know, at that time He called each of us to make a renewed commitment to Him‚ to lay aside the things which were hindering us. He also gave very specific counsel about many weak areas, which was published in GNs throughout 1998. When we prayed about what 1999 held for us, the Lord called it "the year of choice."
160. Here are excerpts of that message, which was published at the beginning of the first GN of "The Weakness Revolution" series.
161. (Jesus speaking:) The standard has been set; the foundation has been laid. All My children are now held accountable for the multitude of Words that I have poured out. They are without excuse, and they cross the threshold of the new year aware of all that I will require of them
162. This coming year will be the year of choices and the year of strengthening. Depending on your choices‚ you shall either be strengthened or weakened. The strength of My protection and spiritual force field comes from the choices you make to yield, to sacrifice, to give‚ to love, to forsake your pride and your independence, to live the One Wife vision, to care for others as you would yourself, to humble yourself before Me and your Family. The choices which strip you of your spiritual force field and disarm My protection in your life are those choices of selfishness‚ pride, withholding, covering up, dishonesty, laziness in spirit‚ jealousy, a hunger for the world and its material goods, a lack of fearing Me, straying from the counsel of My Word, mocking My messengers or My voice in living prophecy, and seeking for your own gain and comfort.
163. Therefore search your heart as to whether you can make one choice this year: the choice to say yes. (End of excerpt of message from Jesus. From ML #3218:19,22,23; GN 819.)
164. (Mama:) Here is another excerpt from "The Weakness Revolution" with more about the year of 1999.
165. (Jesus speaking:) Those who have already made the right choices will be strengthened, and those who have not yet made the decision to go forward should take heed. These messages give the call to commitment that I am putting forth, and this coming year will bring the fulfillment of the choices that My children make—whether they answer the call and are strengthened, or whether they try to hold out and remain the same‚ in which case they will have a very difficult time . Now the progress that they make and their future service for Me is determined by how they respond to this call to commitment. For this year [1999] is a year of reaping the fruits of their decisions. If they have not yet made the right decisions, it's not too late. But these cannot be put off, for this year will bring the fulfillment—whether strengthening or purging. (End of message from Jesus. From ML #3218:29,30; GN 819.)
166. (Mama:) This challenge and the requirement of a concrete decision and commitment on the part of each Charter member might come as a surprise to many of you. Some of you have become accustomed to so much leniency‚ so much mercy, and you've been given so much time that you probably figured things would never change. Well, they have.
167. But again, I want to repeat that the Lord has been preparing you for this time for years! You're very well informed and you're accountable for all the truth that has been published. You can't say you didn't know. (ML #3257:2-14‚ 17-19, 24-30‚ 120-121, GN 857).
From "More on 'The Shakeup 2000,'" September 1999
168. (Mama: ) You read in "The Shakeup 2000" how each person and Home is responsible to do their part to clean up the Family and keep it clean, to get rid of the poison that is threatening our very existence. You can't depend on the VSs and COs to do it all. The Home Councils are one of the three governing bodies of the Family‚ and those Home Councils are made up of individuals—you! You are responsible for your own personal sample, reactions, decisions, obedience‚ and determination to uphold the CM standard, but you're also responsible to be wise, mature members of your Home Council. You must personally obey the CM contract; that is your obligation. That's obvious. But you must also help others to do the same, and if they refuse to do so‚ then it's also your responsibility to discipline those people, and if they refuse to change, then you're obligated to see that it is recommended that they be moved to FM status.
169. You live with each other, you see how your Home members conduct themselves, and you know if they're upholding the CM standard. If they aren't, it's your responsibility to do something about it! The Lord will hold you accountable! It's up to you to recognize the problems, pray about them, offer Word-based counsel and shepherding‚ and mete out discipline according to the Charter. If these measures don't bring the needed results‚ then you're responsible to recommend that the people who are contravening the Charter be moved to Fellow member status. That is your charge before God!
170. (Jesus speaking:) How long, My children, will you halt between two opinions? How long will you be blind to the truth? How long will you hide your wounds and the wounds of others? How long will you be blind leaders of the blind? How long will you flagrantly disobey My Word, or cover up and lie to save face for those who do? How long will you follow this path of bewitchment? When will you stand up for the truth?
171. Who will stand up for the truth? Who will be counted as My Gideon's band? Who will love Me more than life itself? Who will love Me more than friends, more than lovers, more than husbands or wives‚ more than parents, more than children, more than bosom buddies? Who will love Me with a pure heart? Who will fight for the right, for the truth, even within the borders of your tents?
172. You can't expect the COs and VSs to do everything. Their burdens are already heavier than they can carry. The weights on their shoulders are already more cumbersome than you can imagine. It's impossible for them to see everything, know everything, keep everyone in line, or keep everyone close to Me and following My will. It's impossible, and I don't expect this of them.
173. You are the keepers of your house, the ones accountable to Me for yourself, and yes, for the situations surrounding you. Yes, you are your brother's keeper. You—yes, you—are responsible to keep the Family pure, to rid the Family of the poisons of the System, the evil sores and bloody wounds of the System.
174. The VSs and COs can't possibly see everything that's going on. So if you value your place in the Family, if you value the Family at all‚ then you should be willing to stand up for the truth, for what you know is right. The Family is weakening! The Family is being poisoned! There are wounds, infections, rotting pieces of skin that need to be cut off. The Family is in a precarious state of health, because of the diseases of the System and the poisons of the world. If the Family is to survive, then drastic measures must be taken.
175. You're going to have to take a stand—you personally. If you see something that's wrong, that's not in line with the Word, that's not according to the Charter, then it's your responsibility to do something about it. It's your responsibility to stand up for the truth, because evil triumphs when good men do nothing. And I'm sorry to say this, but evil has been triumphing in many areas of the Family because you haven't been willing to stand up for the truth. You've been a coward. You've abdicated your responsibility as a Family member.
176. What is your responsibility? You're responsible to ensure the purity of the Family. You say, "Oh, but I am only one and I don't make a difference." The truth is that you do make a difference! What you do makes a world of difference. And if everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing, if everyone was obeying like they were supposed to be obeying, then we wouldn't have such a desperate situation in the Family today. It's because of your willingness to stand by and see others poison the work that things have gotten into such a sorry state.
177. It's high time for you to stand up and be counted. If you're counted with us, then reassess your position and treasure this Family. Do all that's within your power to ensure that we remain pure and free and revolutionary.
178. It's a desperate situation, and I'm calling for each of you to be counted as My revolutionary, dropped-out, free-from–the-System‚ iconoclastic children of the End! Rid your body of the poisons before it's too late. Stand up for what you know is right, for My truth. And if you see someone who's disobeying or weakening the Family, it's your responsibility to do something about it. We have enough "weakeners." Will you be a "strengthener"? Even if you're afraid of losing someone's friendship or love, I'm counting on you and I expect your loyalties to be toward Me first and foremost.
179. Are you with Me? Do you have the guts and conviction to give Me your all, to stand up for the truth even in the face of ridicule and mockery? Do you believe in Me and this Family enough to forsake all else, even the things that are dearest to your heart, to even die for Me if need be? I'm calling you to fulfill your responsibility as a 110% CM Family member. Do you have the guts to do that? I pray you do! Your survival as a member of My avant-garde depends on it! (End of message from Jesus.) (ML #3262:150, 152‚ 154–157, 165-168, 170, 173, GN 863).
2001:
From "Leadership Lessons, Part 1," April 2001
180. (Mama: ) 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.
181. That makes it pretty clear, doesn't it? So, in review, please don't blame the COs 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. (ML #3347:58-61, GN 941).
From "More on the Keys! What the Future Holds, Part 2‚" April 2001
182. (Mama:) During Feast 2000, the Lord revealed that we were living in the era of greater miracles. At that time we received a new anointing. Then in Feast 2001, the tremendous gifts of enhanced faith, the power to rise above, the knowledge that there are no impossibilities to us, and the keys to the Kingdom were given to each one of us.
183. Because it has been a few months since Feast 2001 when you read "The Keys to the Kingdom," I will include a few excerpts from that GN as a brief review.
(Jesus speaking:) Right now‚ today, if you will reach out and receive‚ I will turn your activation key, giving you unlimited access to the full power of Heaven. I now wish to give you complete access to the keys of the Kingdom, for this is what you will need to complete the mission you have before you.
When I spoke to My early disciples, saying, "I will give you the keys of the Kingdom," I was also speaking to you, My children of David in the Time of the End—for I knew you would need it and I knew your faith would warrant it.
I now present you with full access to the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; according to your faith it is done. This is an amazing, awe-inspiring possession; learn to use it wisely.
Never before have My children had access to such power as I am making available to you now—not even Peter and the early disciples, or any of My faithful prophets and great men and women of faith down through the ages. It is given to you, My faithful of the Last Days‚ to possess new codes that were not necessary in the past because the need did not warrant them. But now it is warranted, for you will do greater works than I.
All power is given you, and all the power of Heaven is augmented in these Last Days! The power has been there all along, within you, but now, today, you can access it—according to your faith it is done.
The evil forces are also amplified. They surround you; they are everywhere, working to keep people in bondage and darkness. But your power is amplified many times over. You have the power to release those in bondage. You have the power to overcome all evil. In your keys‚ you have liberty and freedom. Therefore start today and access this power I put in your hands; use it prayerfully and wisely, and walk in and claim victories. There are no obstacles to you; as long as you continue to do your part, I will never fail to do Mine.
This is your day! Now I give you all power in Heaven and in Earth; according to your faith be it done unto you. It is accessible to you who follow closely. Access it as often as needed, put it to use, exercise it, spread it around, use it to draw men to Me‚ to carry out the plan I put before you. (End of excerpts of ML #3318:31–37, GN 922.)
184. (Jesus speaking:) You stepped forth in faith, nothing wavering. You wooed, aroused, and pleased Me in obedience, humility‚ and love. Your reward, My darling brides, is the complete activation of the keys to the Kingdom that I have placed in your hands.
185. Now, My loves, you are accountable for their use. What will you do with this tremendous gift I have given you? Will you use the keys to unlock the doors and release the power? Will you draw on the power that is available to you? Will you claim My promises and put Me to the test? Are you willing, dedicated‚ and brave enough to move forward and go through the doors of the unexplained? Are you willing to face your greatest fears and walk through them, and watch as they dissolve into a fading vapor? Have no fear that you cannot do what I have asked of you, or that it is too hard, for nothing is impossible to you! So fear not, My little flock. It is My good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
186. As you begin to access the storerooms of Heaven, authentication of the power of My Words will be manifested more in your heart and in your lives daily. These are the keys of enlightenment. Set aside anything that stirs doubt in your heart or mind concerning them, for only by faith will the full truth of the keys be validated.
187. Those of you who have been battling for your place of service and have had a difficult time focusing, I tell you, use these keys, and you will receive an infusion of the power of My Spirit that will show you what is truth and what is fabrication, so that you'll be able to see things more clearly and make wise decisions.
188. Know for certain that you are destined to overcome Satan and all his minions. For the keys know no failure—only the perfection and power of My promises. Follow the nudging of My Spirit as you step out into uncharted territory now, for the Spirit will guide you into all truths, even as you ride the waves and brave the wind.
189. Though the days just ahead are ones of unequaled darkness‚ know this: With these keys in your hand‚ you will see everything more clearly and much brighter than you ever have, even though there is darkness all around. You will shine as you walk, leading others to the light of My love. This is a precious gift I have bestowed upon you‚ My children of the End. (End of message from Jesus) (ML #3351:1, 9, 11-12, 23-24, 26, 36, GN 946).
"Coming Persecution? Conviction vs. Compromise, Part 1," August 2001
190. (Mama:) We've been burdened for a long time about the dangerous compromises that have taken root in the Family and have asked the Lord about it repeatedly. When praying about what to do about the many complaints, murmurs, and really bad situations that we hear about‚ the Lord gave the following message. This is a fitting keynote to this series‚ as it shows that all things will not continue as they are. The Lord will now take matters into His Own hands to bring about the changes needed. You need to meditate on this message and count the cost. The Lord has made it clear that Peter and I are responsible to give you this sobering message so you will be warned.
191. (Jesus speaking:) I will continue to purge the Family. The S2K approach was the beginning, yet the S2K has been only partially effective. It has had its limitations‚ either because of the reluctance of some continental or area officers or Home councils to reclassify those who need to be reclassified, or the reluctance of those who don't belong in the Family, who are not in the Family in heart and spirit, to leave the Family, due to the challenges they'd face outside the Family. But I will continue to bring about the purge Myself. I will cause a falling away of the wayward by My Own hand. You don't even have to engineer the purging yourselves, because I will see to it Myself that the cleansing and purifying process continues.
192. It's not that the S2K was a failure. S2K served its purpose; the Family was cleansed to a degree. And though there is still a ways to go, in My mercy I have thus far held off major persecution that I warned of at that time, for I have seen that some fields have obeyed and followed closely. Though other fields have lagged behind, it is for the sake of those who have obeyed that I have held back impending persecution. Likewise, I have seen the obedience of leadership to do what they could to follow through on the things I have instructed. They have done what they could, and so I have answered their prayers and held back the punishment of which I warned.
193. The S2K was a steppingstone. That shakeup was done the way I wanted it to be done, and overall it has brought about the results that I expected. Overall the S2K had the desired effect and was fruitful and a good step in the right direction toward strengthening the Family. The field governing bodies of the Family can continue with the counsel put forth at the time of the S2K as they feel led‚ but more is needed.
194. Now, in My love for your shepherds, for those who willingly lay down their lives for My flocks day in and day out, I will take this matter into My Own hands. I will personally continue to cleanse the Family of those who are not following in purity of heart, and thus I free the shepherds from the full burden of this task. I must keep purging the Family in order for the growth of the greater church to take place. If the Family is allowed to weaken through compromise, then that will directly affect the strength and power of the greater church. For the strength of the inner circle, the full-time disciples, will be reflected in the new members—those who are taught the doctrine and believe, but who are not able to live the communal living sample.
195. Only if the Family members are strong in faith and willing to preach the truth as given in the Words of David will you fulfill your special place in the big Endtime picture. It's that uncompromising witness that will allow Me to continue to give My full blessing to the Family.
196. By remaining true to your unique calling, by preaching the Word—even the uncomfortable, seemingly unpopular Word—and winning those who are willing to follow in your footsteps in spirit, will your new members be strong, powerful‚ and fruitful, and the result‚ with time, will be much, much more than had you tried to walk the more conventional route and not tested and tried your new members with the strong meat.
197. I am engineering a falling away again. That's why the heat is still on with the attacks from detractors, apostates, worldly authorities and the media. I will chastise those who are disobedient and humble their pride, and I will bring them back to the fear of Me through persecution and bad publicity. Those who are weak in faith and wavering will be skeptical and doubt the wisdom of some of the decisions and changes made; they will be brought to a decision by My hand.
198. The Family will be pushed to the limit to try their faith. The faithful will stand in the end. Those who remain will be stronger than ever‚ and well able and ready to build the greater church. Those who leave will be happier for their choice‚ although even some of them will be used of Me to purge, purify, and make white the Family. There will be yet more apostates, more detractors with outlandish "stories" to test and try the hearts of the children of David.
199. Warn the Family; let them know that this is what's happening and why. Those who receive this will be forewarned and will recognize the attacks of the Enemy when they come their way. Prepare the Family for these attacks too by giving them the knowledge of how to use the keys to the Kingdom and how to learn the art of rising above. Those who have been faithful to study and believe and come to Me and receive My seeds will stand. (End of message from Jesus.)
200. (Mama: ) This problem with lethargy is closely linked with familiarity. Some of you have lost that healthy fear of the Lord, so now you feel real cozy with Him—He's your Big Daddy, listening to your every request‚ constantly showing unconditional love and concern, and answering every question and going waaaaay out of His way to show love, patience, and understanding. Maybe this is the only side of the Lord that many of you have seen. You've been protected, cared for, and even spoiled by His goodness. He's tried to win you with love, mercy, and gentleness. He's done everything in His power to give you everything you need.
201. It's wonderful that you can know the Lord in this way, but maybe your relationship with the Lord or your understanding of Him is a little lopsided to where you don't fear to disobey or murmur or speak against the Lord or His prophets. Maybe you're pretty cocky and you think everything will just go merrily along and nothing will change no matter what you do‚ and that you'll never feel the Lord's judgment for your sins. That's not true. It's not true for you of the second generation, you of the first generation, and it hasn't been true for any generation of the Lord's children down through history!
202. When I was working on this GN, the Lord had the following to say:
203. (Jesus speaking:) Some have become so familiar with Me and My promises that they no longer fear Me. This is not the first time My children have gotten into this state. There are those who are worshiping the works of their own hands, murmuring and complaining, loving this present world, following after iniquity.
204. Of course, there are many Family members who are My darlings, who have Me in first place in their lives. There are many who are doing their best to obey and follow closely. But unfortunately, I cannot bless their efforts completely nor supply the abundance that is their due because of the disobediences of others. The faithful suffer because My hands are tied somewhat and I cannot pour forth My abundant supply and miracles until they rid themselves of the blockages in spirit that are brought about because of the sins and even wickedness of those who have hardened their hearts against Me. In some situations there is contamination and filth and evil.
205. The Family has grown very familiar with My promises of their greatness. The Family has felt that the fulfillment of their very special place was inevitable. They are like rich people who have grown so accustomed to having everything they want‚ and being important, and thinking things will always be that way. But alas, how quickly things change!
206. My children must see that they are helpless without Me, and they must be broken of their self-will, murmuring, and pride. So many of the problems and complaints are the result of these things. Yes, you can attach other "labels" to these problems, such as unyieldedness, gossiping, resentment, hurt feelings, bitterness‚ dissatisfaction, distraction, worldliness, etc.‚ but the true root is self-will (aka self-righteousness), murmuring, and pride.
207. There is lukewarmness, churchiness, complacency and familiarity. Those who have become disobedient need to learn that I am a jealous God and I will have no other gods before Me. Now is the time. The lessons begin. I am also a just God. Therefore I commission you to answer their questions and warn them of the things to come. I want them to know and to choose. Then I will blow upon the field and will separate the wheat from the chaff. Prepare, for there will first be a falling away, then will I build My new church, which will be a renewal of the Words of David in purity and dedication.
208. (Jesus speaking: ) My dear children who are wayward, you know who you are. I have spoken to you and you feel My Spirit pulling on your hearts, calling you back to Me. Come, My loves, My naughty‚ spoiled children. Come back to My ways. I will have mercy and will abundantly pardon when I see that you have forsaken your sins and returned to your First Love. The choice is yours. You can do this the easy way or the hard way. Believe Me, to confess, humble yourselves, fast and pray, and seek My will, is much easier than to feel My hand of chastisement upon you, yours, and your work.
209. (Jesus speaking:) Wake up and realize that this is the era of action! Action means action, and that's that! It's the time for action! The age of lethargy is over! It may still be the going thing in the world‚ but it is NOT the going thing in the Family! If you want to be in the Family, you'd better get with the ACTION!
210. • Each person search your heart. Stir yourself up. Pray and seek Me. Hear from Me. Ask Me specific questions, like:
In what ways am I lethargic spiritually?
What wrong influences have come into my life as a result?
What wrong attitudes do I have that I need to change?
What have I been avoiding stepping out and doing? What new moves of the spirit have I been hesitant to put INTO ACTION?
What should I do to stir myself up more and keep myself stirred up in spirit?
211. • Some of you need to ask Me to do something major in your life that will shake you up and wake you up to where this world is at and where things are headed. You should pray a "whatever it takes" prayer, really. You should say, "Lord, do whatever You need to do in my life to open my eyes to the spiritual warfare raging around me. Take the blinders off my eyes. Remove the root of this problem, whatever it is and wherever it came from, by helping me have an experience that will snap me out of my rut of spiritual lethargy."
212. • Fill yourself with good healthy doses of My Word and hearing from Me in prophecy. There's nothing lethargic or laid back about My Word. It is a sharp‚ two-edged sword‚ discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. If you're digging into My Word, and praying for a hunger, and praying that I will "open your eyes that you will behold wondrous things," that's just what you'll get!
213. My Words, the words I have given through your Father David, through your Queen Maria and King Peter‚ and through My voice of prophecy to you personally are alive, quick and powerful, and will not leave you unchanged! If you've been reading them for years and haven't been stirred up or changed by them, that's not the fault of the words; it's the fault of your own spiritual lethargy. Just reading the Word in itself, meanwhile daydreaming or doubting, is not going to cure you. But reading the Word after praying desperately that it will MOVE you, SHAKE you up and STIR you to ACTION is a large part of the cure! (End of message from Jesus.) (ML #3361:39–43, 57-58, 60-62‚ 103-105, 107–108, 110, 113-114, 147, 186–190, GN 957).
From "The Dangers of Division!
Conviction vs. Compromise, Part 2," August 2001
214. (Mama:) Division still exists in the Family. We have regularly called the problem disunity‚ but let's call it what it is. It's division. The Family in many places is divided!
215. Our work for the Lord will be destroyed if we don't root out this problem and restore unity. It's so sad—really pitiful—that whole cities or even whole countries are torn apart by bitterness and hatred. Division is so rampant worldwide that we hear about it constantly—from every single continent! You can't work together and resolve your differences in matters such as provisioning contacts, sharing witnessing and road trip areas‚ the disciplinary standards of your young people and children, how to minimize ungodly influences in your lives, rampant gossiping and criticism, rivalry over how to shepherd other sheep and Active members, resolving personality conflicts and clashes; working toward having respect and communication between the generations; receiving shepherding and correction at the Home level; living as communal Charter Homes, rather than those who opened the Home controlling matters themselves, and sharing the decision-making power with incoming members, rather than forcing those who don't agree or submit to leave; and differing standards and levels of obedience to the Charter and Word, which can lead to divisions between Homes, within the Homes, and between the generations.
216. You all probably think that you're justified in your feelings‚ that you're right. And maybe you are right in that you aren't the one who did the wrong thing! Maybe someone did the wrong thing to you and you were hurt. But you are wrong to hang on to your bitterness and lack of forgiveness. You are wrong, all of you who are involved in any kind of disunity or division. Anyone who has anything to do with division and who is harboring that negativity, bitterness, and lack of love is wrong—regardless of the details!
217. Yes, there are many sides to each situation and there are actual reasons why you're divided. Maybe you were wronged; maybe someone disobeyed the Word or the spirit of the Law of Love and you were hurt. But if you're not willing to forgive, you're wrong too. The Lord and Peter and I hold all of you who are disunited responsible, and you will all reap the judgments of the Lord for your sins if you don't change—now! "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Mat.6:14-15).
218. We can't go on like this! It's unacceptable that after all the Lord has said, how He's begged and pleaded and explained from every possible angle how important unity is, that you who are guilty still can't humble yourselves to forgive one another and to ask forgiveness for your part of the problem‚ whether it be your hardness of heart, your bitterness, your pride, holding on to your hurt feelings, etc. What is wrong with you that you can't see how your disobedience to the Word is hurting you, your Home, your family, your sheep and your work!?
219. How can you be so dull in the spirit and blinded by resentment and bitterness that you have lost the fear of the Lord to the point where you can be divided with your brethren for literally years and think you won't suffer the consequences?! The truth is, you're suffering the consequences now! Can't you see that? If you wonder why your Home isn't the heavenly sanctuary that it should be, if you wonder why the Lord isn't blessing your provisioning and fundraising, if you wonder why your young people gossip and backbite and are disrespectful, if you wonder why you don't have the regular support from Active members that you'd like to have, if you wonder why young people in your Home or area are leaving the Family in disillusionment, let me tell you‚ part of the reason is the division that exists in your Homes and areas!
220. The Lord is angry about it and He won't stand for it much longer. You need to get your act together or you don't deserve to be in the Family. If you can't get united, you need to go to the churches where‚ almost without exception, they tolerate and even specialize in backbiting, gossip, and division! If that's what you're doing, then that's where you belong. If you don't have any more fear of the Lord than to let disunity go on and on in your Homes and areas, then God help you!
221. I'm sick and tired of hearing about so much division. What happened to "My Family, my Family, I know it's right, my Family"!? What happened to "And by this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another"?! Are you His disciples? Then for God's sake‚ act like it!
222. There are some countries that have been so disunited for years that I'm about to write you off as hopeless cases. You know who you are, and so do I! There are some fields in South America that are so steeped in division that they're almost ruined, and maybe the whole country should be reclassified—by me! It's bad enough that some of those old fields are hardly making any progress due to division, and are about dead and gone, but there are also some relatively new pioneer fields that are already crippled with disunity! I can hardly believe it! (Followed by the Selvegion vision.)
223. Each of you who is involved in any kind of disunity whatsoever is going to have to make a choice. There's no time to procrastinate. Even not doing anything is making a choice; it's choosing to ignore the Lord's warning‚ to harden your heart to His words, and to continue in pride, lethargy, and sin.
224. It doesn't matter how long you've been living in division with your Home members, your mate‚ other Homes, or your shepherds. It's irrelevant whether it's been weeks, months or years. It doesn't matter how right you feel or how much you've been hurt. Now is the time to change! The Lord has made it clear that if you don't change, you personally and your Home stand to reap the consequences of living in disunity even more than you already are.
225. Some of these divisions go way back. There are so many scenarios‚ unloving actions and words, bitterness and "bad blood" that if you try to sort it all out, you'll fail. You have to just let it go. That means that you personally‚ as an individual, have to get it sorted out with the Lord! You have to lay it all on the altar—all your hurts, resentment, bitterness, lack of forgiveness, gossip, hatred, everything! This is not contingent on the other person making things right with you. This is not providing the other person confesses and is repentant. The onus is on you to do the right thing, and to keep on doing it until unity is restored.
226. It's nearly impossible for the VSs and COs to sort out disunity conflicts. Everyone has their story and gripes and wants to be heard and congratulated for being "so right." It can go on and on for months! But I'm going to simplify the job of the VSs and COs right now by making it clear that when there is disunity, all parties are wrong, all parties are guilty! Until you all have done everything in your power to obey the counsel in this GN and restore unity, you will all be held accountable and responsible. The VSs and COs will begin to discipline the situation as they feel led! Forget all this endless mediation and refereeing by the area officers and COs, who have too much to do already. They don't have time to listen to everyone's complaints time and time again and then decide‚ "Okay, 10% of the blame is so-and-so's, but 18% of the blame is so-and-so's, and 72% of the blame is so-and-so's, etc."
227. From now on, where there is disunity‚ regardless of who did what, you're all guilty until you forsake your sins and get united. Where there is disunity, there is pride and lack of love. And if you're really serious about being right with the Lord, even if you're "innocent," you'll get right with the Lord, hear from Him, humble yourself, pray desperately‚ and find a way to restore unity. (ML #3362:24-30, 32, 34, 178-182‚ GN 958).
From "Be Ye Separate! Conviction vs. Compromise‚ Part 3," August 2001
228. (Mama:) I want to share with you the Lord's checklist regarding how you're living and supporting yourself. If you honestly assess your personal obedience, I believe a lot of change will come about as a result. There are very important questions here that you need to seriously think about and ask the Lord about. Please take the time to hear from the Lord in prophecy, desperately praying that you'll have a clear channel through humility‚ desperation and yieldedness.
229. (Jesus speaking: ) They that preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel. If you seek first My Kingdom, all will be added unto you. This is the crux of the matter. The lack of fulfillment of My Word is due to disobedience.
230. I have given promise after promise; I have laid out in explicit detail where I am leading and what I want the Family to do. I have not failed in one of all My promises. Ask yourself these questions. Also, ask Me to speak to you in prophecy about the following questions:
231. If you do your best for Me‚ I will do My best for you. The crux of the matter is simple: My supply is dependent on your obedience to what I tell you to do. (End of message from Jesus)
232. (Mama:) We are praying for you desperately that you will obey and find the Lord's will for your lives, and rid yourselves of any compromise for gain. If not, you will not find the success you hope for, but will, instead, only find disappointment. You are accountable for the truth the Lord has given you, and His blessing in your life will depend on your obedience.
233. If you feel lacking in power or inspiration, if you're too tired to even stir yourself up to try to do better, if you feel you're too deeply entrenched in the System or too weak in faith from compromise to get back to full discipleship, cry out to the Lord for help! Don't wait. Don't say you'll do it later or tomorrow. Do it now! Call on your Husband and ask Him to give you faith. Call on His strength to help you change and get back on the track of uncompromising discipleship, and then ask Him to help you learn how to use the power of the keys of the Kingdom. If you'll use the keys, you can call on their power and receive whatever help you need. All you have to do is yield and obey. It's there for the asking‚ so just ask!
234. The keys rule! Remember, the Lord promised: "Command Me, the Keeper of the Keys‚ to work on your behalf through the power that I readily and freely give you. I will overcome all impossibilities for you, My Brides, because you turn the keys of the Kingdom." (ML #3363:270-276, GN 959).
From "Are You A Disciple? Conviction vs. Compromise, Part 5‚"
September 2001
235. (Mama:) Those of you who are 18 or over, and certainly those of you who are 21 or over, should have made a definite decision about what you want to do with your lives by now! You've been in the Family long enough, read enough Word, and had enough experience to be accountable for your decisions.
236. Possibly some of you think you're doing okay just drifting along, not really committing to the Lord or the Revolution, but not really causing trouble either. Or maybe you don't really mind living communally in the Family, because you realize that it offers you a higher standard of living than you'd have if you lived on your own in the System. You don't have to do much work, you have your friends, you have sex at least occasionally, etc., so you're willing to endure a little fundraising, which you look at as your "job," and you sit through devotions or your Home meetings as part of your "dues" to pay your rent in the comfy, cozy commune.
237. I hate to tell you, but that just doesn't cut it! There are those who are sticking around the Family because it's a cushy life, because your friends are in the Family, because you're too lazy or scared to leave, because it's simply comfortable and you can't think of anything better at the moment, because you want to leave but you're waiting for the opportune time, and in the meantime you're taking advantage of free room and board‚ because you enjoy the benefits and it's a step up financially for you as compared to how you'd live if you were on your own. You who fit that bill need to count the cost and make a decision for the Lord. If you're in the Family not because you honestly believe the Word and want to live and die for Jesus and this Revolution, but because it's an easy life or you don't have anywhere to go, then you need to start finding a place to go! And I mean it!
238. Each of you YAs and SGAs needs to decide what you're here for, and if you're here for Jesus, then you need to make a commitment to Him each day. It's dying daily for the cause of Christ that makes our Revolution different! You should be in the Family because you love Jesus, want to serve Him full-time, and you believe this is the best place to do that. This is not the place for you if you're just looking for some kind of "career," or you're just biding your time until you and your friends come up with something better or cooler or easier.
239. I want to ask you: What can Peter and I really expect of you personally? How much are you willing to give? What are your expectations? Are you a disciple of Jesus, or a part-time missionary, or a social worker, or a Christian English teacher‚ or just a cool dude? How would you describe yourself? (ML #3365:6–10, GN 963).
2002:
From "Pray, Obey and Prepare,"
September 2002
(Regarding persecution:)
240. (Jesus speaking:) Just as there are many individuals and different situations in the Family‚ so there are many degrees of obedience and dedication. I am merciful and I give people ample time. I don't expect that everyone will have made the same changes and be at the same place spiritually. But the overall plan must move forward, and I have to look at the general state of the Family's needs when I allow something to come to pass or I delay it.
241. In this case‚ a large majority of the Family has been making steps forward in their quest for greater dedication. I am pleased.
242. However, there are pockets of resistance to the truth and the direction I am leading. There are some who are still rebellious, disobedient, shallow, compromised, and without the fear of Me. And because there has been so much truth published over the last year, I must hold these wayward ones more accountable. They are in essence challenging Me, testing Me, like a child might test his parents. They think nothing will come of their rebelliousness, that all things will continue as they are. They are simply biding their time, mostly here for the lifestyle, without regard for the judgments that will come.
243. Because they have not made decisions to either get right with Me or to move on‚ and because it's impossible for the shepherds to be "policing" the flocks, I will shepherd these wayward ones Myself.
244. My queen and king have delivered their souls. My brides need the explanation and update, and those who are still seriously compromised and disobedient need a last warning. I deliver My soul in mercy. (End of message from Jesus.)
245. (Mama: ) Please review the counsel the Lord has given in the CvsC series and throughout this last year, and check your heart. How obedient are you? How compromised? What picture of full-time discipleship are you and those in your Home showing the world? What kind of long-lasting, balanced missionary work are you building? Are you serving your community in the name of the Family? How much of your time do you devote to witnessing and follow-up? Are you training outside members? What is the sample of your children? How is the education and shepherding of your children? Are you overemphasizing CTP work to the neglect of reaching the labor leaders?
246. These are just a few of the questions you'll need to pray about and reflect on. These are also topics you should discuss in your Home council meeting in which you go over the instruction in this GN. Be honest with yourselves and each other‚ because your future depends on your obedience.
247. As you follow closely and do all you can to obey the Word, you can be encouraged, because there are many promises of victory from our wonderful Protector.
248. (Jesus speaking:) Legions, armies, archangels, powerful spirits‚ great bands of mighty ones, departed saints who are now vested with unprecedented power fight for the children of David! More than the number of grains of sand of all the seas the world over are the helpers of My children! All Heaven is at your command, and all Heaven stands ready to fight for you.
249. You know not what you ask, for you cannot comprehend in your carnal mind how great and powerful are the numbers of the heavenly armies who fight on your behalf. I have said that through the power of the keys, you command all My power. The power of the keys is more than a match for your foes, for the power of the keys far surpasses all power of those who oppose you. The keys of the Kingdom themselves are as your spirit helpers. Through the keys you have unlimited help, for the keys put the power in your hands that will defeat the foe and all demons who oppose you. There is no match for the keys, which are at your command.
250. So many are your spiritual counterparts who fight for you, My brides! But you must call, you must do your part to lean on them, call on them, work with them. You must work closer, hand in hand, with your helpers in the spirit. But you must call, you must ask.
251. There is great danger if you don't call. If you don't command My power, then there is great threat to you, My children. Calling on the power begins with living in My Word, reading, absorbing, and applying My Word daily in your lives.
252. I give you Myself—I am the greatest of your spiritual counterparts and the mightiest opponent of these who try to oppose you! I give you My Word, the most powerful truth on Earth‚ the greatest power in all existence! I implore you‚ live in My Word! Read, absorb, apply, and become one with Me. Nothing can withstand Me, My Word, and the power of the keys, for We are one! (End of message from Jesus) (ML #3420:96-99, 103, 122-124, 173-174‚ 178-180, GN 1007).
Miscellaneous quotes:
From "Where We're Headed,"
July 1997
(On obedience:)
253. (Dad speaking:) The Lord rewards you for the sacrifices that you make for Him. The Lord rewards you according to how obedient you are to what He's told you in the Letters, and to the counsel that He's given you directly through prophecy. He may love you just as much if you're following afar off, but you're gonna miss out on the blessings that He has for you‚ not only in your life on Earth‚ but especially up here.
254. Remember that your life on Earth is just a tiny speck compared to eternity in Heaven, and up here is where it really counts! But even though your life there on Earth is so short, it's very important. It's like a testing and proving ground to see how close you're going to follow the Lord, to see how obedient you're going to be‚ how much you're going to take to heart what He says and follow it.
255. Yes, you are all part of the same Family and the Lord loves you all. He's thankful for all that you do to serve Him—whatever it is, whether big or small—but He rewards you according to how much you do. Your salvation is free, but in all the rest, just like the Bible teaches, you are going to be judged according to your works. And your works include not only your accomplishments but how much love you have for others, how much love you have for the Lord, how much you sacrificed for others, and how much you sacrificed to overcome your own problems so that you could be a better sample to others of the Lord's love so that you could help them. The Lord is going to judge you on all these things.
256. Your status is not as important as your obedience. You can be a Charter member and still not be very obedient. Or you can be keeping the rules and just barely getting by with the minimum amount, but still be pretty far off in your heart. Or you can be a Fellow member and be as obedient to the Letters as you can and really try to follow the Lord closely, getting out there and witnessing and telling others about the Lord and really laying down your life for others.
257. Are you being an obedient Charter member or a disobedient one? Are you following closely or are you walking along the fringes? By the same token, are you an on-fire Fellow member who's trying to be obedient and follow the counsel in the Letters, the full counsel of the Lord‚ as closely as possible? If so, the Lord's going to reward you for it. If you're not, if you just don't have the faith or the will or the determination to make those sacrifices, the Lord will still give you some blessings and some rewards for doing what you can—for the souls that you've led to Him, for the witness that you gave, for leaving the System behind and following Him in this Family, and for giving your life for Him.
258. Those who give the most receive the most, and those who are the best sample also get the greatest rewards.—And that is why we have the Charter. The Charter was meant to be a standard you could live by in order to be the sample that the Lord wants you to be. If folks would really follow the Charter and do what it says in there—not just obeying it by the letter of the law in all the little details, but really following the spirit of the Charter, the spirit of love, the responsibilities of the individual members—then they would be the sample of love that the Lord wants them to be and He would bless them. That's the blessing of being a Charter member, because they're trying to be the best sample that they can for the Lord. And if that's what you're trying to do‚ then the Lord's going to reward you greatly for it‚ not only in Heaven but on Earth too. He's going to give you fruitfulness, inspiration and joy, because your sample is going to make others happy, and that is going to make you happy in return.
259. The Lord knows each person's heart, and He'll reward them accordingly and He'll bless them accordingly. The Lord is very fair and He's very loving. And while He loves everyone equally and one person is just as precious to Him as another, He doesn't reward everyone equally, because their rewards are contingent on their obedience‚ their faithfulness, their desire to be a good sample of one of the Lord's children, their love for others, their love for the Lord, and how much they sacrifice and lay down their lives for others. The more you pour out, the more you give, the more the Lord will give you—a hundredfold in return.
260. So stay faithful! Keep giving! Keep doing your best to be obedient and follow what the Lord has shown in the Letters and the counsel that He is giving now directly through prophecy. Don't compare! That's a trick of the Enemy to get you looking down at yourself and others instead of looking up at the Lord and His will for you. Keep your eyes on that heavenly goal, and don't let anything dissuade you from following the conviction that the Lord has put in your heart. (End of message from Dad) (ML #3136:245-248, 250-251‚ 256-257, Lifelines 24).
From "You Are What You Watch,"
April 1998
(On movies: )
261. (Dad:) A lot of times you don't see the effects in your own life for a long time. Maybe it will be a few years before you actually see the effect that the movies have on you. Maybe for a while you'll be doing fine‚ coasting along, not being real prayerful about the movies that you watch. But this constant input, this constant portrayal of morals that are contrary to the Lord and the way that He wants us to think and act and be, really does have an effect on you, whether you like it or not.
262. Somewhere down the line‚ these little seeds that have been planted in your heart and replayed in your mind will spring up out of nowhere. Then you'll realize that you have actually lost so much of your faith and your conviction. So much of the input and training that you've received goes to waste, because these ungodly influences eat away so slowly.
263. If you want to preserve your life for the Lord, if you want to stay full of conviction and filled with godly anger against the atrocities of the world today, the world that's walking down the pathway to destruction, then you'd better be real prayerful about what you watch. Even most so-called good movies can still influence you adversely in some way, whether you like it or not, so you'd better really pray. You'd better really pray that you can choose the good things and eschew the evil. And if you've developed an appetite for the wrong kinds of movies, you should ask for prayer from others or from your Home.
264. Most importantly‚ make sure that you're getting filled up with the Word to counteract any bad influences that the movies may have on you. I know that movies are a very sensitive topic for a lot of you, and I'm sorry if I sound pretty hard-hitting‚ but I think you'd do well to take note and listen and take heed to what I'm saying. If you don't, you're endangering your life for the Lord; you're leaving yourself open to these subtle inroads of the Enemy.
265. He's gonna have a heyday in your life if you don't take a stand and lift up a standard against him when he comes in like a flood! These movies can be like a flood—they're a flood of input—and if you don't choose what input you're going to receive and cast away the input that is of this world and that will eat away at your foundation of faith, then you're gonna be sorry.
266. What will you say to the Lord when you come before Him at the end of this life? Will you say, "Well‚ Lord, I know You gave me all these talents. I know You gave me a lot of training. I know You poured a lot of Word into me. I know You gave me the truth‚ but I just let those talents get eaten away by the constant flood of movies and their input. I let the ungodliness eat away at my convictions until there were none left"?
267. Or will you say, "Well, Lord, You gave me all these talents. I resisted the things of this world, and I invested Your talents wisely. They multiplied in my life and the lives of others many times over"? If you can say that to Him on that day, then He'll say to you, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!" (End of message from Dad.) (ML #3182:55, 57-62‚ GN 787).
Copyright © 2003 by The Family
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