By MariaMaria #669 FD/MM 3480 5/03

1. The format of this Issues GN is a little different than usual, but I think you'll find it interesting. It starts off with a post from one of the ex-member websites, written by a young person who left the Family in order to pursue higher education. In this young man's post, he describes what he sees as the Family's closed–mindedness and fundamentalist, exclusivist leanings, and his growth as a person since undertaking to broaden his perspectives to include a greater "love" for humanity and increased education as a "humanist." I sent it to some of our SGAs in WS to receive the Lord's perspective on it, and I thought you would be interested in hearing what He had to say.

2. It's so interesting to see the contrast between what this young person says—which sounds intelligent but complex at first glance—and the Lord's answer, which is so clear-cut, uncomplicated, and most of all, true. It's easy to be impressed by the philosophical, intellectual arguments that some people can spout off. But this is a good example of taking it to the Lord and letting Him clear away the rubble and complexities and put things back in perspective. I pray it's a blessing and interesting to you as well.

3. Here are the excerpts from this young man's posting, explaining why he left the Family and what he has found since going to university:

4. I wanted to have the freedom to randomly listen to all the major philosophies of life and compare them to my set of ideas and see if I could grow as a humanist‚ a free thinker. I wanted to grow spiritually and think independently enough to jump out of my "2-by-2 psychological fish bowl of perceptions"—which I was conditioned to believe to be a place where the will of God is manifest in our modern day and age. Our founder's writings portrayed the group as being the purest and safest place to be without question or doubt, or what some in the group liked to call the place of highest blessing in the eyes of Jesus our Savior.

5. In this self-appointing group they liked to call themselves the "elite called-out army" who would partake at the Lord's table in the day of redemption, commonly known as the second coming, the end of this "sinful and perverse" life as we know it, which, according to our "spiritually sexy" prophet is manipulated by a very rich group of antichrists conspiring at every moment along with spiritual demons to turn man against "HIM," the Almighty who loves us enough to make any sin punishable by hell and damnation if we don't accept his "humble" yet exclusive SON. Whoooooah, such a sudden burst of contradictions. Gosh, I can hardly believe how I lacked in noticing such a basic manipulation of ideas and obvious pattern of political spins of circular reasoning, or at best, a trend of fallacious assumptions.

6. I know that many Christians don't venerate themselves with such an overly exclusive arrogance‚ to the point where hateful simplistic ideas get people hurt or demonized. Although‚ I see people from every culture and background express this overzealous vibe to some degree, which in turn manifests culturally-centric behavior. It was considered a normal day-to-day spiritually strengthening experience to read verses from our founder's textbooks whose thesis implied that religions or independent ideas different from ours (such as homosexuality or the pursuit for secular academic ambitions) were not only unacceptable but intolerable in the sight of God and fundamentally a distortion of God's plan.

7. In any case, as my vision and goals began to materialize, I began to feel a genuine love for humanity. I believe this love was not just a cry for freedom of thought or a reflection of my need to display independent alternative views to life, but a reflection of the reasons that I too felt were genuine, unpretentious, legitimate, and pure motives for wanting to love and be loved. I wanted and continue to want to be appreciated for my individual subjective me‚ and living existence. I wanted and continue to want to be seen as an individual, a creative and unique personality. And I don't just mean that spiritually. This includes the material and physical being which my previous religion seemed to tolerate, and showed value towards only when my behavior reflected submission to the religious core of faith statements or fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible. That's what one perceives with intuition. Words are hardly necessary to perceive such utilitarian motives.

8. So in my venture towards free expression I took the exam and attended orientation sessions which doubled as psychological sittings, in the search for self-acceptance and the need to feel respected for the decisions I intended to make. While deciding on what my major should be at orientation I received help choosing some General Ed Classes to satisfy certain academic requirements for any degree. I can look back and see how meaningful my choice was. The classes I chose to add to my first semester, College English 101 (a.k.a. writing and composition), Pre-Algebra, Psychology, Sociology‚ and cultural anthropology.

9. As if the need to delve into the nature of the human being were not obvious enough through the choice of these behaviorally-oriented sciences, in addition, I spent a good amount of time discussing life with my Psych teacher, who was very reassuring and not at all the "priest of Satan" that my fundamental religion, in the simplistic stereotypical perception, insinuated secular counselors to be. (End of excerpts of posting.)

Is it worth it?

10. (Jesus: ) There are a lot of details and specific doubts and questions within the preceding post—some of which are obvious bunk‚ others of which seem to have some foundation in logic. The simple truth, however, is that those who want to believe Me will believe Me—and those who want to believe otherwise, to believe the voices of the world, will believe them.

11. It all comes down to faith. You can't explain or give a logical reason for everything that I have said, everything that I have asked of you, or every truth that I have shared with you. It takes faith to believe My Word. It takes faith to accept the truth. It takes faith to be My disciple. If you believe it, if you live it, if you follow it, then the Word becomes clear to you, it starts to make sense to you, and most important of all, it works for you. When you choose to go My way, when you choose to make the Word your standard, when you choose to believe My truth, you reap the benefits of it.

12. When you choose to go the Enemy's way, you reap the benefits of that too—and yes, there are some. Contrary to what I'm being accused of by this young man and others, I'm not bigoted or narrow-minded, and I don't expect you, My children, to be that way either. I want you to look at the facts, to look at both sides, and to know what you're doing and what you're getting into. You don't, however‚ have to spend years in college drinking in the doctrines of various and sundry "thinkers" to know the facts. Yes, there are lots of ways of thinking out there, and if you choose to pursue any of them‚ you'll no doubt find something in each of them that appeals to you, that seems right, that makes you feel good, that even makes you happy. But that doesn't mean it's the truth.

13. If all you want is to feel good and be happy with yourself and feel that you're completely expressing your individuality, then yes‚ maybe the best thing for you to do is to start going to psychiatrists and psychological sittings or lectures‚ delving into your psyche and a whole lot of other people's while you're at it, determining your own thought processes and choosing your own moral path. If that's what you want, go ahead. But first think about it: Is that really what you want?

14. The truth isn't popular. The truth isn't comfortable. The truth isn't easy. That's a pretty accepted fact, isn't it? It's always been that way. The way of the fighter for truth and justice is known to not be the way of comfort, ease, and personal happiness and security. The road of truth‚ the road which a disciple or anyone seeking to make a difference in the world must travel, is a road of challenges, of sacrifices, and often of hardship. That's just the way I've made it.

15. The life of faith is a life of constant tests, of constant stretching, of giving and sacrificing. Not everyone is called to that life. For some people it's just too much‚ it's too difficult. Really what this young man is doing is taking the easy way out. He got tired of the fighting, of the spiritual warfare, of the sacrifice and submission that it takes to be a disciple. He wanted to "be himself," and he did. But what is that doing for anyone else? How is that helping to make others happier, to change the world, or to bring people to Heaven?

16. See, what really matters isn't merely this world and this life. This life and what you do with it is very significant and deeply meaningful‚ make no mistake. But it isn't the be-all and end–all either. It's a proving ground, a testing ground, and the "real" life, as it were, is the one that awaits you on the other side of the veil. The things that you do that count are those that are investments toward eternity and the spiritual realm. Making a nice little life for yourself here and now that you're all happy with simply isn't what it's all about. Those who choose to do that are going to have a sad awakening on the other side.

17. Maybe here they end up doing "just what they want" and feeling great about themselves and making just the life they wanted for themselves. And maybe they are happy and "free" while enjoying it—or at least they think so. But they're missing out on the big picture. They're not seeing the forest for the trees. They're not willing to "esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt‚ having respect for the recompense of the reward." They'd rather enjoy the "pleasures of sin for a season," so to speak (Heb.11:25,26). That's what it comes down to in simple terms, back to the basics.

18. There's nothing inherently wrong or evil about wanting to be yourself, wanting to have an open mind, wanting to learn and discover things about yourself and even the ideologies of others. The problem‚ though, is that you can't serve two masters (Mat.6:24). In this case it's a question of: Do you want to serve Me? Or do you want to serve yourself? What matters to you more? What is your priority? While there's nothing wrong with being yourself and the way I made you, you must also realize that the carnal mind will always be at war against the spiritual (Rom.8:7). And so you must decide which kind of "open-mindedness" you're going to pursue—the spiritual, by believing, trusting, treasuring and obeying My Word and where it takes you; or the way of the natural mind, which is analytical and accepts only that which you can see and feel and make sense of from your own small perspective (1Cor.2:14).

19. I'm not going to judge you or strike you down with lightning if you choose to pursue a worldly career rather than serving Me as My disciple. In fact, I just might make it nice and easy for you, help you along, and make it comfortable for you. I love all My children, and I love you no matter what you do. The difference is that if you choose the comparatively easy path of doing your own thing and going your own way, you're the one who misses out. Not necessarily here and now on Earth‚ though in many situations that will be the case. But it's guaranteed that you won't have the happiness, blessings‚ and the high level of eternal rewards on the other side that you could've had if you'd chosen My way instead.

20. My way is both the way of sacrifice and death to self, but also the way of the greatest reward and joy—not necessarily the greatest comfort or ease, but there's simply nothing that can be compared with the joy of knowing that you have the truth, that you are living for a cause that is right, and that you are giving of yourself toward eternal values and treasures. That's something that you have to decide for yourself. You have to determine personally whether that matters enough to you that you're willing to dedicate your life toward it. Nothing I say will convince you. Nothing that anyone says will convince you. You must decide for yourself‚ "Is this worth it? Is it worth it to me to be a disciple, to give my all for Jesus, to believe in the truths that have been revealed to me, to forsake myself, to yield all to the Lord and to go His way‚ with the goal of winning others to Him and helping them find the truth and eternal salvation and happiness?"

21. If it is worth it to you, then to hell with all the nagging voices of "reason" that try to persuade you that there's another better path! And if it's not worth it to you, then you're in the wrong place. That's what it all comes down to. That's the heart of the matter here. That's the bottom line. The rewards of serving yourself and going your own way might be apparent and perhaps show their "fruit" more quickly in the here and now, but the rewards of serving Me and going My way are eternal! (End of message from Jesus.)

Text box:

"I wanted to … see if I could grow as a humanist, a free thinker."

[Definition of humanism from the Humanist Society:] Humanism is the viewpoint that people have but one life to lead and should make the most of it in terms of creative work and happiness; that human happiness is its own justification and requires no sanction or support from supernatural sources; and that in any case the supernatural, usually conceived of in the form of heavenly gods or immortal heavens, does not exist; and that human beings‚ using their own intelligence and cooperating liberally with one another, can build an enduring citadel of peace and beauty upon this earth.

[Thesaurus results for "humanist":]

atheist (noun): nonbeliever, disbeliever, unbeliever, skeptic‚ doubter, agnostic, freethinker, humanist

antonym: believer.

22. (Jesus: ) The freedom of choice is the freedom I have given to mankind from the beginning. I didn't program man to worship and obey Me‚ but gave him the freedom of choice. I allowed the Evil One to roam throughout the Earth with alternative doctrines, and his efforts have intensified in this, the last age before My second coming.

23. He propagates many confusing thoughts and ideologies throughout the Earth, but you can discern and judge their truth and veracity—or lack thereof—by the simple criterion I now set before you: Does a belief system draw men to recognize My sovereignty as their Creator or to set themselves up as gods?

24. Be not deceived, My children, for you have all the tools at hand within My Word. The Word is the weapon you must use to discern the underlying ideology of the words of men, for often it is cloaked in misleading expressions. (End of message from Jesus.)

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25. (Jesus:) [The author of this post] no longer believes My Word regarding the battle between good and evil since the beginning of time. It is the great tactic of Lethargy to cause people to be dismissive of evil‚ to plug their ears and eyes, and to blind the masses to the control that the Enemy has upon the world (2Cor.10:3-5; 2Tim.4:3,4).

26. Remember‚ too, that you within the Family are not the only ones who realize that the forces of darkness have overrun the world. People of every size, shape, color, and belief system see the world going to hell, and while they may not all understand the spiritual warfare‚ there is no doubt in their minds, and great fear as a result, that the world is racing toward destruction.

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27. (Jesus:) Don't swallow everything you come across, for My thoughts are higher than man's thoughts, and My wisdom is as foolishness unto men who refuse to see things through the glasses of belief in the fifth dimension, and in My power.

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28. (Jesus:) Call on the keys of Heaven for discernment to see through what this one is saying. This is the sad story of any who swallow the tall tale that becoming a "free thinker" and embracing humanism is a path to open-mindedness. You're either for Me or you're against Me, and any other "choice" a man makes is but a deceit of the Evil One.

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29. (Jesus: ) My children, when one chooses Pan over Me, Pan fills them with the knowledge of both good and evil which they desire—emphasis on evil. But he also brings great confusion and many vain thoughts into their minds, in order to scramble the path of their way home to Heaven.

30. Call upon the power of the keys to protect you from the influence of Pan‚ who through heady thoughts and lofty words would seek to erase the truth of My Word from your minds.

31. I do not condemn this young man‚ but only pity him, and were I speaking directly to him at this moment, My words would be ones of loving pleading and compassion and mercy. But I have no sympathy for Pan or his ilk, for the spirits of confusion, and so I tell you‚ My warriors, be on guard!

End of text box.

It shouldn't surprise you that My ways are very different from the world's ...

32. (Jesus: ) If you are hungry for and wanting to be filled with the teachings and perspectives of this world, the world is more than happy to fill you. When this young man hungered and thirsted after My Word, I put My mind within him. Now that he is looking to know the mind of the world, it's the mind of the world that he is taking on.

33. It shouldn't be surprising to you—or to him—that they are so very different from each other. My ways are considered foolishness to this world, just as all the wisdom of the world is foolishness to Me (1Cor.1:18-29). This young man no longer wanted to be My fool, because in his carnal mind the wisdom of this world seemed more exalted, more civilized, more logical, more sensible than My Word and My ways. This is why the carnal mind is and always has been at enmity with God.

34. And just because he sees his newfound spiritual counselors as normal, kind, and genuine human beings, does not mean that the Enemy is not using them to perpetuate his doctrines of devils that have been around ever since the beginning, and in opposition to My truth since then as well.

35. These teachers of psychology and philosophy and other sciences of the mind share a belief that originated with the first words the Serpent uttered in the Garden of Eden: "Hath God said?" (Gen.3:1). In other words, "Is God right? Now, my dear primitive believers, take a bite of this apple of education and I'll show you what's really right! I'll open your eyes and ye shall be as gods! This will set your minds free!" The tactic is the same today as it was then. Those who wield it are not the same as the Evil One, however. In many cases they are sincere‚ and in almost every case they are sincerely deceived and sincerely wrong.

36. Of course the Enemy is going to make himself look good and friendly and kind and concerned when you enter his camp. He's going to make you think, "Oh, those poor deluded souls in the Lord's camp. They just don't get it. They just don't understand. They're just stuck in their mental ruts and perceptions of some supposed spirit world that doesn't even exist and has no meaning in our modern‚ advanced, civilized society."

37. These are not they who criticize religion so much as consider it antiquated, irrational, old–fashioned and meaningless, a product of men's minds. They consider God a product of man rather than man a product of God, and they have well learned how to mold young minds to such a belief. They do not mount a frontal attack, but simply look at the young believer with sympathy, with a feeling of, "How could you believe such a thing?" and with an attitude of, "We'll help you overcome these irrational religious impulses you're suffering; trust us."

38. He'll try to set you "above" all these things, to get you to look down on them from your lofty and enlightened position, to get you to exalt yourself above God‚ above your responsibility to a Greater Power. Of course he's going to try to convince you that this "Greater Power" doesn't exist, isn't relevant, and that it's much better to serve humanity along with serving yourself, without that unnecessary element of a "God" or especially any notion of His "highest will" in the picture. Of course, he doesn't start off that obvious or blatant, but that's where this train of thought eventually leads.

39. Just because these counselors and supposed "enlightened" teachers of the social sciences don't wear horns or carry pitchforks or cackle like the psychologist in "The Shepherd's Crook," it doesn't mean that they aren't preaching and teaching the doctrines of the Enemy. Oh, they hide it behind masks of humanitarianism, free thinking, logic, and advanced carnal reasoning, but that doesn't change the fact that, generally speaking, these are men who don't like to retain God in their knowledge. These are men who exalt their mind above My mind‚ who make self their god and rationality their religion. These are they who become heady and high–minded, and think they have ascended the tower of their own wisdom and intellect to the heavens, in many cases, not realizing, like the builders of old, that their great tower is but a mud and earthen ramp rather than a towering intellect.

40. See what My Word has to say about such men. These are they who mocked Noah for hearing from Me and for believing in a coming unseen judgment—but the judgment came. These are they of Abraham's family who did not believe in the promised land‚ and who were left behind as he went out from among them, not inheriting the promise. These are they who despised Moses in the desert and had no faith in My supply and provision, even after all the miracles I had done in their sight, and were left to perish in the wilderness. These are they, like the Athenians of old, who spend all their time either to tell or to hear some new thing, and consider those like My servant Paul babblers and tellers of tales (Acts 17:18,21).

41. There has always been the camp of the children of the physical world who choose to believe in those things which they can see, and the camp of the children of the spirit‚ the children of faith, who possess "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb.11:1). The carnal man cannot receive, believe, or even perceive such things of the spirit, precisely because they are spiritually discerned (1Cor.2:14).

42. This one has closed himself off to the truth by choosing to seek after the lie, so he has lost his understanding and discernment of truth, but in such an inverted way that he believes he now walks in light and has been enlightened. Having rejected his love of the truth, he now believes a lie—a lie that is feeding his pride (2Thes.2:10-11). And so long as he hangs on to this pride, it will keep him from seeking after the true light of My love and simplicity. And all without him ever realizing what was really happening. (End of message from Jesus.)

Text box.

"I know that many Christians don't venerate themselves with such an overly exclusive arrogance, to the point where hateful simplistic ideas get people hurt or demonized."

43. (Jesus: ) What is this "overly exclusive arrogance" that leads My Family missionaries to leave the comfort of home fields to go out into foreign fields and become one with other cultures? What is this "overly exclusive arrogance" that leads My Family to open their arms to every race, every religion, every culture, with My unconditional love and acceptance? What is this "overly exclusive arrogance" that even makes My Family tolerant of other Christian groups and religions, and therefore immune from the petty arguing and time-consuming feuds that drain the lifeblood and energy from those who could be witnesses to My Name? Along with your high calling comes a mandate of humility‚ understanding, acceptance, and a great love for all My lost children which is rarely found in any who give themselves to such levels of dedication.

44. My children, I have called you a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, and yet have said that you are nothing without Me and My power (1Pet.2:9-10). Flesh and blood do not inherit the Kingdom of God either (1Cor.15:50). So while I have called you out of the world and set before you a high calling (Phil.3:14), this is still your choice and the choice of your children, to accept My calling or choose another path of service.

45. The bottom line is, it is I Who have called you an elite Endtime force. It is I Who have named you My brides. This is not because others of My children in the world are not worthy of these honors, but only because they do not desire the total commitment to Me, and therefore they do not accept these honors. Rather they despise them and look upon them as strange and peculiar.

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46. (Jesus: ) As for the "hateful simplistic ideas" that "get people hurt or demonized," once again examine where this is leading. What are these simplistic ideas? That salvation and a home in Heaven is as simple as accepting Me as your Lord and Savior, and that being a part of an army of My children who preach this simple Gospel is a high calling? Is it that "friendship with the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4)? Is it that "he who forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be My disciple" (Luk.14:33)? Is it that "he who saves his life shall lose it, but he who will lose his life for My sake and the Gospel shall find it" (Mk.8:35)?

47. Let Me put this in another light. Some would rather that My Word said something along the lines of‚ "Living in the world, befriending the world, becoming part of the world, is also a high calling. Conforming to the thought patterns of those in the world is just as acceptable as taking on the mind of Christ." But, My loves, I will never say these things, because those in the world did not think up their thoughts of conformity, their "free thinking" thoughts, or their humanistic ideals. All these stem from spiritual forces that are not for Me, but against Me. All these lead to spiritual darkness and confusion‚ not to peace and light and truth, which can only be found in Me.

End of text box.

Glorification of the individual‚ or glorification of God?

48. (Jesus:) Why did Eve taste the forbidden fruit, when I had clearly provided other fruits in the garden equally as tasty and equally as interesting? It's all about free will, free choice, and the ability that I have given each of you to choose what you will believe and accept.

49. The reasons [this young man] thinks this way are simple: He didn't want to accept and believe the simplicity of My ways, and so long rejected them seeking for something more intelligent–sounding, complex, and appealing to the carnal mind. And so he has come to turn his back upon My truths, and seeks now to fill his mind with alternate principles, all of which worship the creation‚ mankind, more than the Creator (Rom.1:22,25).

50. This is nothing new, and has been happening since the beginning of time. My ways are the right ways, the true ways, the foundation, the essence of all, the bedrock principles of everything—the absolute truth. And often My ways are exceedingly simple, yet exceedingly hard to grasp—for to understand them, you must become as a little child. You must un-educate yourself. You must be willing to become simple, that you might be wise.

51. Yet the inborn pride in the heart of man will always have difficulty accepting that fact. What is at the base of the rejection of childlike simplicity? Pride! Pride is what makes the heart of man say, "No, I cannot accept God's wisdom. It's all too simple, and it requires me to become as a child, as nothing. It requires me to let my own self go and be lost in the heart of God. I cannot! I refuse. I must be something of myself. No, no! I reject your teachings. I reject your childlike faith! You call for me to become 'closed-minded‚’ as a simpleton, as someone who has no mind of his own. It's you who cannot handle the real truth. It is I that am correct. It's all too easy, and I'll not have it forced upon me any longer."

52. It was this same pride that caused Lucifer to fall from Heaven, and caused the first people I ever created to taste of a fruit that was forbidden to them. Pride is truly at the root of all sin‚ and pride has worked in the hearts of those who refuse My simple truth—from the days of Lucifer, to the days of Adam, till these Last Days in which you live.

53. My children, wonder not at those who have tasted other waters and now extol them as the ultimate truth, and who point their fingers back at you, calling you the deluded, the mind-controlled, the wasted ones, the ones who are too simple to truly broaden your minds. It has been that way for all My prophets and great men through the ages.

54. You shouldn't think it odd that these doctrines of devils have even ensnared those who have been raised in a place where they were surrounded by My Word and immersed in My truth. Though they received My Word from a young age, for every man the danger exists that they will leave My path of truth and simplicity because of pride, and will instead cling to knowledge that is not Mine‚ but that empowers their mind to a level that they feel is smarter, cooler, or more brilliant than the simple truths of the mind of God (Col.2:8).

55. Who naturally seeks to be as a little child? Who naturally seeks to become more ignorant in the flesh, yet more believing in the spirit? Who naturally seeks to become weaker in themselves, that they might put their trust in a power greater than theirs? Who naturally seeks to become poor, and dependent, and foolish and naïve in the eyes of the world? Yet this is the mystery of life, that to become wise, you must become foolish in yourselves. To become strong, you must first become weak. To become rich, you must first become poor, and to find your life, you must first lose it. Yes, many are called, but few are chosen (Mat.16:24-27; 2Cor.6:9-10; Mat.20:16). These are hard sayings; who can hear them?

56. The simplicity of My truth is always rejected by those whose hearts are filled with pride. And those who can no longer accept things at the face value that I have given them must instead turn to other explanations. Some of these explanations can seem at first to be very rational‚ very understandable, very logical. Yet at their heart, they're flawed.

57. The reason they seem so easy to accept at the beginning is because at the very base of all these kinds of arguments is the glorification of the individual. It is a subtle shifting of the worship of God toward the worship of man. And as I have said, pride in the heart of man is his biggest obstacle to believing in God, because many do not like to acknowledge that there exists a power so much greater and wiser than themselves. Therefore‚ as is spoken in the Word, because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, I have given them strong delusion, that they might believe a lie (Rom.1:28; 2Thes.2:10–11).

58. And the lie that is commonly believed is that all the beauty, strength‚ majesty, knowledge, wisdom and power that should be associated with Me lies instead in all of you—that there is no God, that there is no right or wrong, or up or down, and that it is all a matter of perception‚ of choice, and that you can do no wrong as long as each strives to do what is best for himself, and to have harmony between each other‚ and to respect each other and to ignore Me. This is easier for humans to accept because it gives them all the power, and they no longer have to worry about answering to a higher power, and this seems very attractive.

59. What was the lie that was used in the beginning? "Ye shall be as gods" (Gen.3:5). This is what lies at the heart of theories and philosophies that promote something other than the worship of Me.

60. So I call you, My children, to leave the theories and doctrines of man alone. Don't worry or let it shake your faith if there are those who again choose to believe the Serpent and taste the "apple" that I have told you is best left untasted. Instead, come to Me and I will give you rest. The rest I offer is a cessation of worry and of struggle‚ and to find again the freedom and the joy of being as a little child and inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven (Isa.26:3; Mk.10:15).

61. To the proud, to the vain and the haughty you will seem to be like blind men, dumb and deaf, those who have closed their senses to what is real, and instead seek to not be confused with the facts. But who is to say who is blind and who can see? Man cannot judge; only God can. And My Father and I will judge.

62. Those who have denied themselves in order to live My simple truth and have become as children with simple faith will inherit the Kingdom. But those who have forgotten God will know in that day that it is they who are blind and deaf and dumb and naked and wretched‚ and they will have to choose to forsake their pride and receive My free—but simple—forgiveness in humility and brokenness. Or they can choose to follow their hidden teacher, Satan, to his final reward—the reward of all men who cannot let go of their pride.

63. Though they profess to worship only man, in essence they worship Satan. For there are powers greater than man in this universe, and even if you choose to not believe in them, they believe in you, and they are real. If you have not chosen Me, then Satan chooses you, and through your rejection of My truth, you do him worship and homage. The pride of man is inborn, but it's the Old Snake in the garden who seeks to magnify it, and glorify you to your own damnation.

64. Are you willing to become as a child, ignoring the taunts and jeers of the supposed "enlightened ones"? Are you willing to be a foolish thing, yet one who will confound the wise‚ or a weak thing who will bring to naught the strong? (1Cor.1:27-28). If so, follow Me, choose My way‚ and close your ears and eyes to other follies and let Me be the judge in the end of who is blind and who can see (Jn. 9:39-41).

65. Forsake your pride! Learn from history! Learn that with Me is peace, and truth, and beauty, and enlightenment, and all that you seek—if you can simply offer your pride upon the altar of sacrifice. No one can take it from you; you must choose to lay it down. There's no one to force you‚ not even Me. Your pride and your reputation must be a freewill "burnt offering" to Me, and only then can you reap the rewards of such a sacrifice. (End of message from Jesus.)

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"…Our founder's … thesis implied that religions or independent ideas different from ours (such as homosexuality or the pursuit for secular academic ambitions) were not only unacceptable but intolerable in the sight of God and fundamentally a distortion of God's plan."

66. (Jesus:) I have called you to "come out from among them [in the world] and be ye separate" (2Cor.6:17), because in order to take up the cross and the challenge I have set before you, of discipleship and going into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature, you cannot be encumbered by the higher education of the System. I call you not to be students of the world but to go and teach all nations (Mat.28:19). I call you to the humble path of a missionary‚ of one who studies to show himself approved unto God, not approved unto man (2Tim.2:15). You are doing works and accomplishing things that man cannot teach you in his halls of higher education.

67. The Devil would rather I say, "Come out from among them and be ye separate. But on the other hand, if you would rather conform, you'd be just as well equipped for the high calling I have laid before you; in fact, you may even be better prepared for the challenges ahead of you." But I will never say this, for it is simply not the truth.

68. Should you decide to take another path in life, one that leads you on to higher education and the pursuit of vocations that higher education would prepare you for, then I send you on your way with My love still in your heart. I do not reject you, for I have promised that I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb.13:5). However, once you enter the halls of higher education‚ be assured that Pan has overrun those very same halls, and your simple faith in My love and My Word will be greatly attacked and mortally wounded‚ just as this one's faith has been.

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69. (Jesus:) The Devil would rather that I say, "Any particular habit you would like to pick up from the world around you is a demonstration of open-mindedness and free thinking; none of it is attached to the deceitful spirits that roam the Earth today, and you will be just as close to Me if you become a homosexual as you are now." However, this is not the case, because homosexuality is not simply a physical choice, nor even just a state of mind‚ but a direct result of the influence of spiritual forces. There is nothing about homosexuality that is unforgivable except for the spirit of rejection and rebellion that accompanies it, if it causes a person to reject Me and My love.

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70. (Jesus:) Serving Me is all about submitting to Me. "Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" doesn't exactly allow for free thinking, and it isn't supposed to (2Cor.10:5). Remember, free thinking is all about rejecting the sovereignty of God in favor of exalting man in God's place. After all, if man is good enough, he doesn't need God. But the fact is‚ man does need God. I've designed it that way. You need Me! Without Me you wouldn't have air to breathe or earth to walk on, or food to eat or water to drink. So denying man's dependence on God is the greatest rebellion.

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71. (Jesus:) Don't forget that the Devil doesn't care what trips you get distracted by, just so long as they lead you away from Me. If you want to serve Me, then there is no place in your life for the individualistic head trips that Pan would tempt you with, or the outward trappings and habits and vices supposedly meant to manifest a "free spirit" that Bacchus would tempt you with.

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72. (Jesus:) There is much freedom within the Family to follow My personal voice of guidance in your life. Going into all the world and preaching the Gospel is a broad order, and there is no one set way of obeying this call.

73. You have both the right and responsibility to find a team suited to your personal goals and desires in fulfilling My call. You have great freedom as you follow Me and seek My will through prophecy—the freedom to go wherever I might lead you‚ to minister to others of My love in any way that I might lead you. This provides much more freedom than the armies of man‚ for whom you must go here or there at the breath of an order, and do this or that without any question, without any say, without any room for personal initiative‚ or ambition, or gifts and talents and leadings.

74. Yet you are still an army and you have rules that guide you as soldiers—the Bible and the Letters. You have a code of conduct, that of a Christian, and My mandates to "Let not your good be evil spoken of," and "Defile not the temple of the Holy Ghost [your body]‚" and "Having your conversation honest among the [world], that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God" (Rom.14:16; 1Cor.3:16-17, 6:19; 1Pet.2:12).

75. These are very specific things that rule out a lot of the freedoms the world revels in, even some that aren't inherently wrong. However, even these mandates are not black and white, for I lead you ever more to follow Me through the specific voice of personal prophecy in your lives. And while in one country expressing your individuality would be a stumbling block, and in effect‚ make the good of your missionary lifestyle be evil spoken of, in another country the very same expression would be acceptable to society‚ perhaps even helping you to relate to and win others, and therefore you would not be evil spoken of (1Cor.9:19-22).

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76. (Jesus:) I love each of you individually, as a unique soul and personality. I created you to bring Me pleasure‚ and nothing brings Me pleasure more than hearing your particular song and expression of praise, your particular tone and style of worship of Me. You can find great fulfillment and freedom of expression through following My specific voice of prophecy in your life, as you seek for a way to make a unique mark upon the world, to do something worthwhile with your life, and to even say or do things no one has done before. This is all the more possible as you follow Me closely, for as the days grow darker, so ever more innovative forms of operating and serving Me will be needed.

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77. (Jesus:) I am the God of truth and knowledge. The Devil is the god of the knowledge of this world. As a comparison, I created sex, but the Devil has dirtied My pure creation of sex. He has encumbered it with perversions and hurtful habits and dragged My creation of sex through the mud and mire of demeaning people, degrading what was intended to be a natural and pure function of humanity. In like manner‚ the Devil has added all kinds of trappings to the original knowledge and creation of God, encumbering the mind with much that leads to the glorification of man and opposition to God.

78. Knowledge and godly education therefore are not wrong, and this young man boasting of the courses he took is an empty boast, for I do not call My children to be ignorant and unlearned. Rather I call you to be wise and learned in the things that matter, in the realm of the spirit and of My Word, and in My thoughts, which are foolishness to carnal man because they are on a totally different plane (Rom.16:17-19).

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79. (Jesus:) The atheistic tendencies of psychology are no secret to Christians the world over, and while this man boasts of finding freedom and clarity in his free-thinking and humanistic trips‚ his words betray the murky waters he now swims in. You cannot rely upon one whose profession is given over to Pan to be any source of wise counsel. Again‚ he has found someone who dignifies and makes legitimate his wandering through the desert of this world for truth, when the truth is that he has left far behind the only oasis and has chosen to glorify the search instead. For all waters in this world that do not stem from Me and My Word are but mirages and cannot truly quench the thirst of the soul.

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Copyright © 2004 by The Family International

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