November 27, 2004
God's views on current issues and attitudes in the Family
By MariaFD/MM/FM 3512 10/04
The Issue:
1. As you read in "Renewal: The Challenge‚" the Lord does not want you going back to the way things were before the renewal. He wants you to remain more separate from the world, dropped out, clean in spirit. And after going through the renewal and experiencing the difference, many of you feel the same. The Lord has been working on cleaning you up and strengthening you, and just thinking about going back to the way things were before is unappealing for many of you—and that's good!
2. Since the Lord made it clear that He's asking more of us post–renewal, we asked Him to give us a clear picture of what He is expecting of the Family of the future in regards to System input.
3. After you read these messages (and the ones that follow in some upcoming Shooting Straight GNs covering specific topics—movies, computer games, novels, materialism, TV/sports viewing, System music, Internet browsing, etc.), you will need to pray and seek the Lord for specifics for your life and Home. But these messages will help to set the tone and make it clear what the Lord is expecting. Then it's up to you to decide in your own heart what you want and where you stand, and then together as a Home discuss how you're going to implement it, the safeguards you're going to put in place for yourselves and each other, and what forms of worldly input you will and won't allow.
4. Before we get into the messages where the Lord gives the plan for the Family of the future, here are some excerpts and quotes from a message that was received for someone who wrote in with concerns about things going back to the way they were before the renewal. Many of you wrote me with similar concerns, and the Lord gave some good answers, which we published for you in "Renewal: The Challenge." This is more counsel along those lines, which I would have probably included in that GN if it hadn't already been finalized. Reading these excerpts is a good reminder of why we're addressing this topic now, what the big picture is, and what the goal is that the Lord has for us.
5. (Jesus:) The renewal has been a time of cleansing, a liberation from the things that held you bound as a Family. I know of the burden within your heart, that things would always be this way—this free, this unattached to the things of the world. I acknowledge and understand your concern, that if the renewal passes as a one–time thing, then many will fall back into the pits that they had climbed out of, and then this might translate into the Family losing its special place in My Endtime service.
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6. I have called you to be in the world but not part of the world. For this to happen, for you to be able to be My brides‚ living and fighting for Me in the Endtime in this world, you must find the ability to rise above, and to seek Me no matter what the world may tempt you with.
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7. Not all are affected by the pull of the world through System music, entertainment that is ungodly, or through movies, TV, computer games, or other similar avenues. There are those who fall into the trap of fashion, of money–making, of obsession with something in the world, of pride, or selfishness. Still‚ many hunger after the world just because the world seems more exciting. There are young men who crave the supposed honor of the military, as well as young women who crave the Hollywood lifestyle and its glitter. There are many, too, who are drawn to the world merely because it's so different from the lifestyle you live, and at times seems more challenging, more geared to pleasure, freedom, and independence.
8. So while completely cutting out one avenue of worldly temptations—System entertainment—might save those who are particularly lured in through one or more of those specific forms of entertainment‚ it wouldn't strengthen those who are tempted with the world in other ways‚ such as through fashion, money-making‚ etc. It also wouldn't accomplish the overall purpose for My brides—that of teaching them to live in the world as My witnesses, and yet remain separate from the world in spirit and attitude and action.
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9. The core of the matter and what I really desire is the hearts of My brides—each one's personal love for Me‚ dedication to Me, and willingness to obey Me through whatever personal tests and choices they have to make, whatever weaknesses they personally have to overcome, and whatever cross they personally have to bear.
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10. The purpose of the renewal was not to merely give some things up, but to receive greater things from Me. I was aiming for permanent lifestyle changes with you, My Family. This is not to say that you'll never watch a movie again or see another soccer match on TV, but the things of the world should be more in perspective.—And I wish for you to keep this perspective.
11. Now, after the renewal, each person in the Family should be able to see where I stand, what I am asking of them, and they should feel the need to stay stirred up regarding their spiritual condition. After the renewal, which was a united offensive to rid Family Homes and disciples of any inroads of the Enemy, each member is accountable to Me‚ and I leave it up to them where they go from here.
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12. Spiritual progress and renewal is not something that can be legislated by Family leadership, but it is decided by each individual person's connection with Me.
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13. The decisions you are making today will determine your future usefulness to Me, and will help to carry you through the End.
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14. I know you think that if there were better rules in place, maybe more supervision, perhaps more "hard-and–fast guidelines," it would probably strengthen the Family. And that's true, it might, at least in the short term. But man does not see as I see. Man does not understand the importance of free choice and the blessings you receive when you of your own volition lay down your life for Me—seeking what may seem to be a life of unwanted change, even turmoil at times, intense spiritual warfare, endless trials and sacrifices, just because I ask you to. To these who serve out of love, I give the greatest rewards.
15. So the short answer to whether or not I wish to ban worldly input indefinitely is: I cannot legislate righteousness. There will be safeguards for those who want to remain in the highest place of service in the FD Family—through the Home reviews, the board criteria, the larger Homes, more training for the Home shepherds, the concept of Home accountability, and what I'm asking of each of you in being your brother's keeper. There will be more checks and balances in place to make sure that if you need help or counsel‚ you can ask for it and receive it in love from Me and from your mates.
16. But I cannot and will not force you, and I cannot and will not make sweeping decisions or rules that would rob each disciple of the reward of their choices and yieldedness to Me. As a Home, you can decide on standards—in fact, you should. As a Home you should counsel together and then hear from Me‚ and you should stand strong in what I show you is best. But it's something I'm leaving in your court to pray about and decide as a team together, according to the standard of My Word, your faith, and what I show you would be best for your situation.
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17. I'm not minimizing the importance of guidelines; they are very important. But what is more important is that service and sacrifice for Me comes from the heart. Be not as the Scribes and Pharisees, who fulfilled the jot and tittle but had forgotten the heart of the law and the purpose behind it all.
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18. In the days to come, I will have need of those who have learned great faith—who have trusted Me all the way and have never found Me wanting or a letdown. If you seek Me with your whole heart, you will have the faith needed to find My full answers‚ and will be capable of exploits such as the world has never seen. Are you ready? (End of message.)
Beware of self-righteousness
19. (Mama: ) When it comes to worldly input and entertainment, the questions of what to allow and what not to allow in your personal lives and Homes are difficult topics. They're sensitive‚ because what to one person is really a nonissue, to someone else is a much bigger deal—and vice versa.
20. We all have issues in our lives that are sensitive or difficult for us to face or come to grips with or make the right choices in. If you happen to be someone who isn't particularly attached to some form of System entertainment, please pray and ask the Lord to help you guard against self-righteousness.
21. Self-righteousness won't help anything. It won't help your Home decide on a better standard. It won't give you better unity. It won't help others respect you or listen to you. It will turn others off and make you ineffective, even if you're trying to be "your brother's keeper." It will tear down what the Lord is doing and will cause others to resent the Lord's Words‚ because you are tainting them with your self-righteousness and personal standard. It will sow discord, and in so doing, you will have committed the greater sin.
22. Pray for conviction mixed with humility and love. Humility and love will help everything come across better, sweeter, and more in the Lord's Spirit. It will unify you as a Home, and will make it easier for you to make these hard decisions together.
23. There are probably also some of you who enjoy occasional System entertainment‚ but because you do it rarely and keep it in check yourselves‚ you might be opposed to setting any hard-and-fast Home rules. This is something you'll have to pray about and counsel together on, and be willing to bend and stretch in order to accommodate the needs of the whole body.
24. If there is something that's really not a problem in your Home at all, then the Lord might show you that you don't have to put any firm guidelines or safeguards in place, as long as you all commit to being your brother's keeper, and remaining open to each other if anyone notices something getting a little out of hand or veering from the standard of the Word.
25. On the other hand, if some members of your Home do need safeguards in a certain area in order to help themselves stay in check, then the Lord might show you that your whole Home should adopt those safeguards together in unity, even those of you who feel you wouldn't personally need such defined rules. This will require some give and take and sacrifices on everyone's part, and you'll need to really pray for the Lord's love, understanding, faith, and heavenly perspective on these matters.
26. In order to make these decisions in unity, and wind up with a good standard that everyone agrees to and supports, you're all going to need to study the Word on the subject and spend some time seeking the Lord as to what He expects of you. Then you're going to have to come together with your humility and love hats on, willing to share your personal weaknesses and ask for help and safeguarding from each other. After doing that, it will be easier to decide on a Home standard together, because you'll all be in the same state—wanting help, wanting unity, wanting safeguards‚ and wanting to be strengthened personally. You will see the need for uniting as a Home on these issues—if not for your own sake, then for the sake of your mates‚ children, and loved ones.
27. The only way you're going to be an effective, winning team is if you're united. And because these issues are sensitive, the Enemy will try hard to use them to divide you, or cause resentment or hurt feelings. Pray desperately for the Lord's love and humility and against the attacks of the Selvegion, so that your discussion and decisions can strengthen your Home, and not cause anyone to be left behind or left out or put down or criticized or alienated through self-righteousness.
28. Now let's go into the messages on this topic. Because this is such a big subject, and personal for many people, and yet so important to our future as a Family, Peter and I asked the WS shepherds‚ as well as the IBCs, as well as some of my channels, to help us in praying about these questions. So we have received many messages, more than what we're sharing with you here, and then we prayed and counseled further about things and brought any remaining questions back to the Lord.
29. I wanted to let you know how we went about hearing from the Lord about these matters, as some of you are sometimes tempted to wonder‚ if it's just one or two people who receive the answers to these big questions, whether they really "got it right." We don't base any major decisions on just one or two prophecies. Whenever there is a question or topic we need answers on which is going to have major repercussions, Peter and I ask a variety of channels, we spend time praying about it ourselves, and we go back to the Lord many times to confirm the overall direction and receive His confirmations. After doing all that‚ we are confident that the Lord has led us in the right direction and are then willing to share it with you.
30. As you read this counsel from our dear Love, please remember that with any sacrifice He's asking you to make personally, He's ready to repay more than 100 times in return—both in this life and in the one to come! No matter how hard something might seem now, if it's what the Lord is asking, we can know that in the end we will be able to say, "I never made a sacrifice!"
God's mind on the matter:
The goal: strengthening personal conviction and obedience
31. (Jesus: ) The standard for My children today is as it's been for centuries: You are to be in the world but not of the world. You are to come out from among them and to touch not the unclean thing. You are to present your body a living sacrifice so that you can prove (know and be a testimony of) what is that good and acceptable will of God (Jn.15:19; 2Cor.6:17; Rom.12:1-2). My standard and will for My children as far as your relationship with the world has not changed, I still wish for My children to remain cleansed, pure, and separate from the world and the Evil One's influence.
32. Knowing this, I also say that I set before each one of you many choices. This is the day of accountability, and I watch to see what choices you make. I allow certain circumstances as tests, to not only strengthen you, but also to see what you're made of‚ how far you're willing to go for Me. I could just lay down the law and say‚ "You can do this, but you can't do that," but that would defeat a very important part of My plan at this time.
33. These days are to strengthen you, My soldiers, and part of that strengthening will come through the freewill offerings that you give to Me.—Not because you're forced, not because you're going to lose your FD status if you don't comply, but because you love Me more than this world, and you of your own accord wish to stay clean, strengthened, and uninfluenced by the perverse doctrines and ways of the world.
34. That's why I'm not asking you to continue the complete fast of worldly input, for that would hedge you in too strongly and would not accomplish My long-term purpose. I not only wish to keep you strong in spirit—which you do by not submitting yourselves to the lies and darkness of the world—but I also wish to strengthen your personal resolve, your self-discipline, your first reactions, your bedrock faith‚ and your willingness to be different and set apart from those in the world.
35. Without this kind of spiritual progress on a personal level, you will not be ready for the kinds of tests that will come your way in the Endtime. These tests of discipline and choice are preparation for the days when your faith will need to be strong and resilient, and that kind of faith comes with time; it's not just presto change-o and it's there. Faith is built, and each one of the children of David has a way to go—many a very long way—before your faith is as it should be.
Why is your faith weak?
36. You have begun to be strengthened through this time of renewal. You have started to feel different‚ you have made important spiritual progress, and even though the battles have been intense for many of you, if not most, you've been covering ground and really moving forward.
37. It wasn't always this way, though. The picture of the Children of David pre-renewal was pitiful. And even now, there is a long way to go.
38. Compared with the spiritual riches you have received and how you have been fed spiritually for years and years, your faith is weak. Why is that? If you've had access to more truth and spiritual enlightenment than any other generation, why isn't your faith equal to that blessing? Why is your faith also not the greatest of all generations?
39. One of the prime reasons is that many of you have allowed the Enemy to come in and steal away the seeds of My truth. You fed of the Word, but then you fed so much of the world, and that latter feeding nullified many of the positive fruits of your Word time.
40. If you were to look at your pre-renewal habits like a scale, it's as if you put the weight of My Word on one side, and it tipped to your favor; but then you took in so much worldly input that it equaled out or even tipped to the world's or the Devil's favor. And back and forth it went. So while you should be millionaires in spirit, with the weight of the Word far outweighing the influence and words of the Enemy, that was not usually the case.
41. Most of you, pre-renewal, merely "broke even‚" because you took in the Word, but then literally undid that act through your input from the world. It's a matter of good versus evil, with the evil of the world so often rooting out the good of My Word in your life.
42. It's a pitiful picture. Here you could each be amongst the strongest saints and Word warriors who ever lived, because you have access to such vast Word and truth, and yet most of you are not nearly at that place; you're much more "ordinary" and "average" than that. And the reason for this is that you allowed so much of the truth to be canceled out, to be made of none effect through your compromises.
43. It has been so sad for Me to see you allow the Enemy to take the "eraser" of his propaganda and wipe out the truth of the Word that you had been trying to establish and strengthen. It has happened repeatedly. And when it did‚ there you would go again, trying to rewrite the truth, trying to piece it together again‚ trying to do damage control.
Ever rebuilding and yet not strengthened?
44. That, in simple terms‚ is what so much unchecked worldly input has done to the children of David. It has prevented you from being the powerful saints and miracle workers that you could have been by now. It has delayed a lot of the manifestations of My power through you; it has caused you to be stunted and retarded compared to where you could be by now, as so many of you have had to go over and over the same spiritual ground, building, then allowing the Enemy to break it down, then building again.
45. That is something you'd never tolerate in the physical. If you were doing a job and someone kept coming in and undoing your progress as fast as you'd make it, and that kept happening day after day, before very long you'd kick that troublemaker out and forbid him to come near your work! You wouldn't have the slightest desire to do the same thing over and over, all the while letting a thief or vandal come in and wreck your work day after day.
46. That would obviously be ridiculous and futile, and you'd either stop the troublemaker, or you'd move, or you'd increase your security and defenses, or something! Somehow you'd find a solution so that you wouldn't have to keep going over the same ground, doing the same thing day after day, without making any progress.
47. It's so easy to see how ridiculous‚ frustrating, and even crazy it would be to allow yourself to be in that position in the physical realm. But that's exactly what happens in the spiritual realm if you work hard building up your faith in the Word and exercising with the weapons of the spirit, and then you walk away from your "work" and allow the Enemy of worldly input to come in unchecked and kick over the walls, haul off the supplies, and break your tools and equipment, so that when you come "back to work" the next day, you have to repair and rebuild before you can make forward progress.
It affects your outlook on the Word
48. If you continue to tolerate this damaging‚ vicious cycle of allowing your spiritual progress to be knocked down through worldly input, ideas, attitudes, and compromises—as was happening to many of you pre-renewal—the end result is that you become frustrated with Word time. It feels boring, you feel like it's so repetitive, you're going over the same material and it's just not "clicking" for you. You feel it's tedious, too detailed, monotonous, and worst of all, you don't see any results or concrete evidence that it's working. You figure you're spending all this time reading and studying, but for what?! You don't feel the power. You aren't seeing miracles. You figure it's just an exercise in religion‚ so you lose faith; it's boring‚ and you just don't see the point. About this time you decide it's not worth it, and you blame your lack of inspiration or forward progress on Me and the Word. You figure it just doesn't work; you figure I don't work.
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49. (Jesus:) If you're not obeying, if you're compromising, if you're making it impossible for Me to fulfill My Word in your life‚ then the Word seems empty, like an exercise in futility. It's true that System entertainment itself can also make having Word time seem more difficult—the fast pace, the adrenaline rush‚ the multimedia presentation, all of that dulls your senses and gets you used to much more stimulation, so that when you sit down to read, it can seem boring.
50. But the point I'm making here is that if the Word isn't bearing the fruit in your life that it could be—due to disobedience or compromise or lack of faith which is limiting its fulfillment—then of course you're going to become dissatisfied with it and feel it's a waste of time to set that time aside as sacred, to suck in the spirit‚ and all the rest‚ because it's not having the effect that is promised.
51. But the reason it's not having an effect is not the fault of the Word. It's something you can remedy and change in your life through upping your level of obedience, cutting out compromise, and putting Me on the spot for change, progress, miracles, victories—what the Word promises to bring. (End of message.)
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52. See how deceptive yet effective this approach of the Enemy has been? He has been the one breaking down your work, erasing the foundation of truth, kicking over the walls of your defense, and you haven't even seen it. Instead, and this is the real brilliance of his plan, you blame it on some lack in the Word or in Me. You fail to see the real culprit‚ and instead you blame Me, the GNs‚ the prophecies, the Family. You name it, it doesn't matter what you blame it on, as long as it's not the Enemy. He is very happy that you're blind and deceived, as long as you don't see him for the lying thief that he is!
53. He comes in to do his damage through System input. It's not that you are so naïve that you're reading books on false religions. You know better than that, so the Enemy has to take a much more subtle approach. He knows you won't fall for his temptations to read about Buddha instead of Me, or to practice transcendental meditation instead of taking Word time. That would be so obvious, and you're too smart for that. So he disguises his attacks and uses the acceptable ways—System input, mostly via entertainment. Because it's been deemed okay and acceptable, he has had much greater free rein to come and go in your heart and undo the good you've done as you've worked to build up your spiritual strength and faith.
54. The deception has come in to the point that you have felt you can take System influence (fire) into your heart (bosom) and not be affected negatively (burned) (Pro.6:27). You have thought of System input as neutral activity that has no real effect, either negative or positive. But that's not the case at all. Rarely is System influence a positive effect; in most cases it's negative. And it's not like bad attitudes or thoughts just come and reside in your heart and mind; they also cancel out the positive that you've built. They don't coexist side by side with the good of My Word; they erase it.
55. So if you take in a fair bit of System input, then you can actually be just treading water spiritually, just standing still‚ not going forward at all‚ even if you're faithful with your Word and prayer time, because you're allowing the Enemy to come in through that System input and kick down your walls and uproot your foundations and hide your tools and equipment so that you then have to start over.
Text box.
56. (Jesus:) It's not that all System input has such obvious negative effects that make them easy to spot—like a violent movie or demonic music. But what about just too much reading of pointless info online, or playing solitaire on your computer? What's so bad about things like that?
57. Sometimes you have to look at the cumulative effects. System input, no matter how "harmless‚" takes time. It takes your time, which is valuable. It takes time that could otherwise be spent with Me, with the lost, or even relaxing in a way that could benefit your spirit more—such as in fellowship with loved ones, or doing something that brings unity.
58. So while not all System input has an immediate negative effect‚ cumulatively it does, especially if you're taking in too much of it and not judiciously guarding your spirit. It can bring spirits of lethargy and complacency into your life‚ because you're so used to spending time on pointless activities. It can make other more fruitful activities less appealing to you, and even seem boring or unpleasant. It's generally selfish by nature, in that you don't have to reach out to others or stretch yourself spiritually in order to engage in it. It wastes time. And all those things don't strengthen your spirit, they weaken it.
59. And then of course there's the System input that's obviously bad for your spirit—violent movies, lies of the Enemy, subtle propaganda woven into so-called "entertainment‚" which you should also be watching out for, and which I highly recommend that you avoid completely. But even the "benign" stuff can hurt and weaken your spirit if you take it in too much, if it isn't balanced, if it's done without My permission, or if your spirit isn't strong enough to handle it. (End of message.)
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Reach your full potential!
60. So that is My warning to you, dear Family, those of you who would be full-time disciples: You must see the correlation between your faith not growing as it should, your not seeing the miracles you desire, your not having the spiritual power that you feel you should have, with the amount of System input that you were taking in. You will not reach your full potential, you will not become the miracle workers and prophets that you hope to become and that I have foretold, if you now go back to allowing the Devil to come into your midst through unchecked System input, if you go back to giving him leave to undo the work you've done as you've read, studied, memorized, and prayed.
61. If you wish to be powerful conduits of My Spirit‚ if you wish to turn this world right side up, if you wish to become full-time disciples whose wish is My command, then you cannot allow the Enemy's evil influence to steal away what is rightfully yours in the truth of the Words of David.
62. Just because you've been given so much truth, even if you read and study it‚ does not guarantee your becoming the instruments in My hand that will defeat the Evil One in the Last Days. It's not enough to drink deeply of the fountain of David; that's only half of the equation. You must also seal off the fountain of the Enemy in your life; you must stop up his entrance and forbid him leave to destroy, steal, tear down or erase that which you're building.
63. Both parts of the equation must be present if you are to grow as you wish, and if you are to see the miracles and manifestations of My power that I have promised. These promises are conditional, and there must be a greater level of consecration and devotion. You must walk further from the world and stay separate from her evil ways if you wish to be worthy of such gifts of the Spirit, such miracles, and such manifestations of My power.
64. For those of you who are truly striving to be full-time disciples, if you are crying out for the fires of revolution to be rekindled in your hearts, if you want to see Me work and move, then realizing the weakening effect of System input could very well be the missing element in your lives. If you feel you've been faithful with the Word revolution‚ if you're hungering after righteousness, if you're desiring the fruits of the Spirit and the gifts that I've promised, and you feel you're still coming up empty, then I call you to pull away from the things of this world, release your hold on the pleasures of this world, and turn your back on the sirens of the System. As you do this, you'll feel a marked improvement in your spiritual growth and understanding‚ My Spirit will be manifested more obviously, you will see miracles, and grow in anointing and power.
65. I have already provided everything you need through the Word, the new weapons, the keys and key promises, greater understanding of your spirit helpers and hinderers, the restructuring of the Family, larger Homes, and the safeguards of the board criteria to come. You have everything at your fingertips to make you into the revolutionary powerhouse that you want to be. You just have to work smart, and you do that by locking the door to the thieves and robbers, the thugs and gang members of the netherworld who seek to steal your progress and faith by displacing it with their worldly ways, ideas, attitudes, and input.
66. All System input has influence. It's not neutral, where it has no effect at all‚ being neither positive nor negative. So when you are faced with a choice, ask yourself, "Is this going to tear down what I've been doing? Is this going to erode the walls of my spiritual strength, or reinforce habits that are undesirable for my spirit? Is this an inroad on my spiritual force field? Is this going to waste my time?" If it is, then the choice is yours: Will you work smart and kick that evil intruder out? Or will you be content to redo the same thing every day, working to build up again and again the same walls because you've allowed your Enemy access to steal in by night to wreck and sabotage your work?
67. It all depends on you and on how much you want to be a full–time disciple with real power and anointing. It all depends on how much you want to see miracles and see My Word fulfilled in you. Whatever you love the most, that's what you'll cling to, that's what you'll tolerate‚ that's what you'll seek.
68. That brings us full circle back to My original counsel. As I called to My disciples of old, I call to you, the children of David: Come out from among them and be separate. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and in receiving you, I will grant you full access to My miracle-working power. Then you will become the Endtime prophets that you are called to be! (End of message.)
Is System entertainment ever an acceptable form of relaxation?
69. (Mama: ) You might wonder if the preceding message means that System input is always harmful and never a very good option, and if you want to be a strong disciple, you should always choose to avoid it. We asked the Lord to speak further on this topic and clarify this question for us.
70. (Jesus:) So much of where I "draw the line" depends on your attitude, your state of mind and heart. Unfortunately, for those of you who really desire and crave System input—movies, novels, computer games, etc.—the "line" is very close to home. There isn't a whole lot that I would give you My full blessing and permission for, because I know that when your heart craves something like that, and then you indulge in it, there are several dangers.
71. One: You take it straight in—you relax, let down your guard because you want to enjoy it fully, and it goes into your heart and spirit and becomes part of you.
72. Two: It's much more likely to become an addiction for you, or already is an addiction, and it's much harder for you to pull away from it after having just a little, or to keep your intake within godly limits. Your desire to indulge becomes stronger than your conviction to keep your spirit strong, and the flesh is more likely to win over your spirit in your decisions.
73. Three: You like it so much that you sometimes don't see the dangers; you aren't desperate to be "cleaned up" in spirit when you do take in something that sullies your spirit, because to you it feels good. Your discernment is dulled and influenced by your personal likes and dislikes and often perverted tastes, and this is a danger to your spirit.
74. This is a hard saying, because the more you crave System input and want to be able to take it in, the less safe it is for you. Can you understand how this can be?
75. On the other hand, if you're much less attached to it, if you regularly choose to forgo it in order to invest your time in true priorities, if you're willing to receive specific counsel from Me, even if it's difficult to implement, ask for safeguards from your brethren and then follow through and obey, if the most important things to you are keeping your heart right with Me and being a strong disciple, then I'm much more willing to allow you some entertainment that involves System input from time to time, because your perspective on it is different.
Four key attitudes to have toward System entertainment
76. Here are attitudes and perspectives that I wish for all My children of David to have toward System entertainment. When you have these attitudes and perspectives, then I don't mind you partaking of some now and then‚ because I know that you're keeping it in its place.
77. One: You see it for what it is—worldly entertainment‚ part of the world. While you sometimes find it enjoyable, you don't let down your guard fully, you're desperate with Me to help you be discerning. And if it's something that I check you is harming you or damaging your spirit, you care more for your spiritual life than you do for some temporary entertainment and you get up and walk away from it. This is a spiritual strength that is developed, that is strengthened through sacrifices, through making hard decisions‚ through choosing spiritual values over earthly pleasures. When you have that spiritual strength and are using it and exercising it‚ then I'm much more comfortable giving you permission to do things that involve System entertainment, because I know that I can pull you away from it if need be, if it's something that's harming you or influencing you too much.
78. Two: You highly value your connection with your brothers and sisters, mates and co-workers, and you put them and their needs first. When you have a choice, you choose to strengthen your bond of love with them‚ above relaxing alone or in an atmosphere where there is little or no quality fellowship taking place. You know how important your unity is—unity based around the things of the spirit, around the dedication you all share toward Me, around your life of uncompromising discipleship, and you're willing to sacrifice to maintain that unity. That in itself is a safeguard against taking in too much System entertainment, because most of you are busy and don't have much time for both‚ so making the right decisions to share love and fellowship with your brethren will limit the times you indulge in System entertainment.
79. Three: You realize that as enjoyable as System entertainment can be at times‚ you always need cleaning up afterwards. You safeguard yourself with quality times in My Word, seeking Me about questions or attitudes or subtle nuances that you are faced with in the entertainment you've taken in. You do this even when you don't "feel" you've been affected—you have conviction that chances are you have been affected‚ and so you take the necessary steps to be cleaned up in spirit. You support My Word in your conversations, your actions. Your life bears testimony to My truth. You regard the opinions of man as just that—opinions of man that will pass away and change with time, and are often influenced by the Devil himself. Whereas you honor and uphold My Word, which stands forever.
80. Four: After reading the above points, this one could be obvious, but I will state it here anyway because it is another "symptom" of being dropped out in spirit: You don't rely on System entertainment for fun. You have the attitude of being able to take it or leave it. You don't automatically turn to worldly entertainment when you want to relax. It's the exception rather than the rule in your life, and you're faithful to ask Me about it—when‚ how much, what, etc.—before you partake of it. Instead‚ you automatically turn to fellowship with your mates, children and loved ones, and "renewal-style" activities when you want to do something fun and relaxing.
81. That's not to say that you don't still find System entertainment enjoyable at times, and some of you, if you were to just let yourselves go, would probably indulge in it a whole lot more. But you consciously choose to distance yourself from it, to not rely on it for your fun. It's a sacrifice you consciously make for the sake of your spirit and in order to be a strong disciple, and I'm proud of you for it.
82. When these attitudes and convictions and actions are firmly in place in your lives, then I will say that there is room for some System entertainment in your times of recreation. As soon as you start to slip from any of these, it's a sign that you're letting things get out of balance, you are "off" in your attitudes and perceptions, and it would do you good to pull back completely and have a mini-renewal with Me to bring things back into perspective.
83. Realize, too, that often you might not notice these things in yourself, but your peers or shepherds might. And if you truly want to be a disciple‚ you will receive their counsel and ask for safeguards to help you remain a strong disciple. (End of message.)
I'm after a freewill offering
84. (Jesus: ) My standard for the Family of the future is a high one. It's a standard of full and uncompromising discipleship. It's a standard of commitment to Me and a forsaking of the world and its trinkets. In an ideal world, you, My children, would not need any of the trappings of this world, its gadgets and toys, its thrills and pleasures. But I will not ask you to let go of all these things, to completely divorce yourself from anything that would constitute System input. However, I do ask you to come out from among them‚ to be separate, to touch not the unclean thing, to revel in My Word‚ to put Me first, to put loving others, your Family‚ and the lost first. The things of the spirit are what should come first.
85. What I ask of you is that you have the right balance‚ a just and godly balance. I ask you to come to Me about everything you do, to see things through the eyeglasses of My Spirit, to not depend on carnal, fleshly knowledge in making your choices about what to take in. I am asking you to cut back, but I do not ask you to give it up altogether, for that is not what I'm after.
86. I'm after the things of the heart. I'm after the things of the spirit. I'm after the understanding that comes from one who realizes that this world and all that it contains are husks. I'm after the deep love that comes from one who realizes that I've given My all for them, and they in turn want and desire to give Me their all. I'm after a freewill offering.
87. I am bringing you to this point. That was part of the goal of the renewal—to show you that you can live without it. You can do without worldly input and entertainment. It's harder for some than others, yes, but it is not impossible to live without.
88. There will come a time when many, if not most, of My children will have to give these things up, all the conveniences of the world and all of its fleeting pleasures, just in order to survive. I speak of the Endtime. But that time has not yet come. But I do ask that you prepare in spirit, that you make ready your hearts and your weapons‚ so that you are able to stand and fight, and not cower under attack. I ask you to hone your gifts of prophecy and to strengthen your channels.
89. In actuality, all the things that I am asking of you now, post–renewal, I have already asked of you in the GNs. I have made My requests known. Now all that awaits My full blessing is for you to put My requests into action, to be obedient. If you would do this, you would find full joy in your hearts, and abundant supply of your every need. You would be prepared for the days to come; you would not lack anything.
How we should be looking at System input
90. As for System input, if you want to fully obey Me, you will be prayerful, careful, and you will guard your spirits. You will be alert, you will be aware of the Enemy's subtleties and his attacks. You will be mindful of the sewage of the System that seeps into your minds and hearts when you give place to the Enemy in this way. You will count the cost. And you will ask Me, you will receive My confirmation on the influence you allow the world to have in your lives. And thus you will have My protection, because you will be obeying Me.
91. I do allow certain entertainment, certain fun, certain activities, with My permission and protection of spirit. But when you go ahead of Me and do not receive My blessing and protection of spirit, then you are open to the Enemy's influence and attacks through these venues, and you are weakened.
92. The key is being in sync with Me and being willing to listen, yield, and obey. But so many feel that it's too difficult‚ it takes too much time, it's not worth the trouble. So many of you feel that you're "big boys and girls" and that you should be able to make such decisions on your own; you should be able to do what you want and what you "feel like" or think you have the faith for. You fail to remember that you are bought with a price, and that you don't really know what is best for you when it comes to taking in the pollutants of your Enemy. You are often unwise and foolish children.
93. The secret is in keeping in much closer step with Me, and in forsaking the desire‚ longing, and that feeling of need for the things of the world. It's not that I will take it all away completely, but if that insatiable desire is there, that feeling that you've "just got to have it," that belief that "life won't be fun without it," then you are in grave risk of the Enemy coming in and gaining footholds in your mind‚ heart, and attitudes.
94. That is what you must cleanse yourselves of. You must be willing to give it up‚ in effect‚ while knowing that I'm not demanding it of you. And some of you probably should give it up altogether—in heart and in action—but that is a choice that I will leave with you, and can speak to you about personally if you will come to Me with the willingness to do so. Some of you are addicted‚ some of you are greatly weakened, and this renewal period has barely pulled you up to a level of survival. But if you go right back into the pit of System input, especially taking in input from a variety of avenues, then you will be weakened further and will eventually fall.
Text box:
95. (Mama:) The Lord says several times that He's not asking us as a Family to give up System input and entertainment altogether, but He is clearly asking us to seek Him and examine our hearts and find out what He wants for us personally. Some people might feel called to give up System entertainment altogether, for personal reasons. Maybe they know that, like an alcoholic, they just can't handle a little here and there even in moderation, and that it would be better for them if they don't have any. Or maybe they feel that it affects them too much, or their spirit isn't presently strong enough to handle it without being weakened, or because it has been a distraction or weakness for them in the past, they don't want to risk falling back into their old addictions. That is something that is between them and the Lord.
96. If you feel that way and the Lord confirms that abstaining completely is the best route for you to take, you shouldn't feel bad about it. It's very commendable that you're willing to do that for the sake of your spiritual life and health. At the same time, you should not impose your standard on others or make them feel bad for going a different route. If the Lord is asking it of you, then it's His highest will for you. If He's not asking it of you, then doing it out of pride‚ or self-righteousness‚ or for any other motives than obedience to the Lord, will not bear good fruit.
End of text box.
It's part of preparing for the future
97. If System input is so important to you, then you will have a hard time down the line. You will have a hard time in the End, because as times wax worse and worse, you will have to give these things up. I know you say that when that time comes and things are really hot and the Endtime is crystal clearly here, you'll feel different. You figure you'll be busy; you'll have supernatural powers; you'll have throngs to feed and clothe and provide for, so you won't miss it then. Well, it doesn't work that way. If you haven't been preparing for the Endtime today, if you're not becoming strong in spirit now, you're not going to be strong in spirit then. Things in the world will gradually grow darker and more evil, and if you don't separate yourself from it now, you will grow darker along with it. You will not be My shining light in gross darkness, because you will have been polluted by the darkness.
98. You have to prepare now, today—not necessarily by cutting it all out of your life, unless that's what I ask of you, but by preparing in spirit, in heart, in mind, in attitude. That is what you must do if you are going to be strong to face the days that are coming.
A simple test of discipleship
99. It would make Me happy if you talked about My Word more, if you placed more importance‚ thought‚ investigation, research, and emphasis on My Word, on the days that are to come, on your spiritual preparation and understanding, on the things of the spirit rather than on the things of the world and the flesh. So much time is wasted talking about movies, computer games, the Internet, System music, movie stars‚ fashions, and gadgets of the world. Why would disciples talk so much about those things when there are oodles of spiritual treasures at your feet? For the most part, those spiritual treasures are discarded by those who are so into talking about the things of the world.
100. You cannot be double–minded! You cannot serve God and mammon. And if you wonder who you're serving‚ here's a test that should make it abundantly clear: Your conversation and thoughts bear witness. If you talk more about the world, the material things of the world, and System entertainment than you talk about Me and the Word and the things of the spirit‚ then you're serving mammon, because that's where your time, thoughts, and energies are going. Conversely, those who glorify Me and lift Me up are truly serving Me. It's that simple.
101. It's a hard fact to face, because many of you will see the great lack in your life if you honestly evaluate and assess your spiritual life in this way, but it's well worth being honest about this, because it's a key to cutting-edge discipleship. (End of message.)
What's most important when you think about eternity?
102. (Jesus:) One of the sad things about worldly entertainment is the time that it wastes.—Time that you, My precious, called-out and chosen ones, could be spending actually making progress in work or spirit, or even just relaxing and strengthening your bonds of love together.
103. There is a time and a place for everything, and I'm not going to ban all System entertainment, because it does have its place too. Its appropriate place is very small compared with the time you allowed it to take in your lives and habits and the appetites you indulged pre-renewal, but it does have a place. As each of you seek Me with open and desperate hearts, as you counsel together as a Home about what your standard should be and what safeguards you will put in place for yourselves and one another‚ I want you to think about something.
104. If today was your last day in this life and you knew it‚ how much time would you want to spend on something that means absolutely nothing in the overall scope of eternity? If you were dying of a terminal illness, if you knew that I would return tomorrow, or that your life would be over when you went to bed tonight, how much time would you spend watching TV, browsing for entertainment online, watching some unprofitable movie, or reading a pointless novel? Probably not much. Your minutes and hours would be valuable to you. You would have much more to do in those remaining hours than you could fit in, so you would be forcing yourself to choose those things that were most important to you. And for those of you who have never been in the kind of situation that forced you to see your true priorities with undeniable clarity, I'll tell you what they would be:
105. The things of the world, the froth, the shallowness—all of it would mean so little; it would seem so pointless, it would be almost offensive to your spirit.
106. If you have ever come face to face with death, or been with a loved one through a trying illness and seen their priorities realign, you know what I'm talking about. Everything becomes abundantly clear in those moments. The only thing that matters is love. The only things you can take with you are the rewards of obedience and sacrifice, and you know it. The only things that seem important are things done for Me, and things done for others to make them happy‚ to help them serve Me better. The things of the world have so little value.
107. That, My loves, is true reality. I know it's easy to lose that perspective in the day-to-day rush of things. It's strange how the most unimportant things seem so important. But if you would pray and ask Me to help you live each day as if it were your last‚ your priorities would be clearer. It would be easier for you to make the right choices. It wouldn't seem like such a sacrifice anymore to forgo some kind of pointless entertainment in order to do something much more profitable and valuable with that time.
The goal is not to focus on what you can't do‚ but on what you should be doing.
108. That's the point I want you to reach in your decisions about worldly entertainment. My goal is not that you ban it from your lives, or self–righteously abstain and condemn others, or get on some kind of works trip to try to prove that you can do without it. My goal is that you have your priorities straight—that you know what is truly important and that you focus on those things.
109. When you are focusing on the true priorities and your heart is right with Me, you'll find that there are times when a worthwhile thing to do would be to sit down together and watch a good movie with your loved ones and enjoy one another's fellowship and unwind together, before the next busy day hits. You'd find that sometimes it could be My will for you to rest and relax and read a portion of an edifying book, even if it's not produced by the Family and is not comparable to My Word. You'd find that sometimes I would give you permission to include some form of worldly entertainment as part of your recreation, as long as it's within the guidelines and boundaries I've set for you.
110. When your priorities are right, you'll have much less desire to step outside those godly boundaries, and much more conviction when you're tempted. Having your priorities straight is crucial to making this change in how you spend your "downtime"—not just through legalistic, letter–of-the–law rules, but in your heart—truly desiring My will, and having the strength of spirit to follow through even when no one is looking and there's no chance that you would be "caught."
111. I know it's easy to get caught up in a list of the "don'ts," either thinking about all the things you can't do and feeling bummed or frustrated or discouraged about it, or else trying so hard to avoid anything bad that you forget what the goal actually is.
112. The goal is twofold. The goal is not just to avoid the dangerous and weakening System input, and to keep any acceptable forms of System entertainment in the proper place in your lives, but it's also, like the renewal, to help you invest your time and energies in the things that really count.
113. The goal is to help you maintain your spiritual strength so that you can actually be progressing. It's to help you be a stronger testimony to the world of My clean, loving, pure Spirit. It's to help you be better witnesses. It's to help your young people to grow strong in My Spirit, without being pulled down and out of My service by excessive System input. It's to help your children to grow up with the right perspectives on life. It's to help you avoid timewasters that count for absolutely nothing. It's to help make it easy for you to be good.
114. The goal is to help you focus on the things that are really important in life. It's to help you keep your taste buds unspoiled so you can really enjoy things like teaching your children to witness, having a Family inspiration, a picnic outdoors, or some fellowship with your mates and co-workers. One of the problems with System entertainment is that so much of it is multimedia, fast-paced and intensely stimulating to your senses. And if you get too used to that, then regular life seems boring and slow without it. This is the perspective that many of you have had, at least pre-renewal. You don't want to go back to that perspective, and I don't want you to either!
115. My goal in asking you to be much more prayerful, wise‚ and obedient to My Word regarding the worldly input that you take in is not to take something out of your life. But rather I want to fill your life with things that are much better, of much greater value! Throw yourself into fulfilling the "dos," into taking positive steps for Me and others‚ rather than focusing on the "don'ts." If you are fulfilling the things you should be doing, and if you're focusing on the things that will make you a better disciple for Me, you'll automatically refrain from the don'ts. You'll be striving for a reachable and worthwhile goal, and reaching for it and working toward it consistently will be fulfilling, satisfying, and rewarding in itself. You'll see progress, change, miracles, and will feel a difference in your spiritual life and discipleship.
Incomparable payback
116. Even so, I am not minimizing the sacrifices, for I know that there will be difficult times during the remainder of your mission on Earth, times when you're working hard and you wish you could just relax, even if it means taking in some entertainment that isn't really best for your spirit. There will be times when you're tired, you're weary, you're spent. And in those times it will be a true test—whether you'll put Me first and guard your spiritual life, believing My Words, or whether you'll go with the "easy" option.
117. But stop and think for a moment about the many parallels that I've given you between the temporal, physical pleasures and riches, and the true riches and rewards of the spirit.—The example of the costume jewelry or the real diamonds and pearls; the houses of wood, hay, and stubble that are burned, or the work that endures; the treasures that moth and rust do corrupt, or the treasures in Heaven that will last for eternity and never be taken away from you; the credit and praise of man for a time‚ or the glory and honor of God for eternity.
118. That's the choice you're making here. If you choose to look beyond the day-to–day here and now, and see what you're really choosing in the spirit, it will make it easier for you. And I promise that you'll never regret it. I'll say that again. You will never regret it. For all eternity you will be thankful and will praise Me for helping you make the right choice. You'll be enjoying and reveling in the true pleasures of life—the pleasures that nourish both your body and your spirit, the pleasures that make the strongest, most powerful‚ most heavenly, most pleasurable sensations on Earth seem like nothing.
119. The thrill of playing and winning a great computer game will be like trash compared to the full experience as you ride with Me in the Battle of Armageddon and use weapons that man has only dreamed of inventing! The shelves of new movies will be completely unappealing and uninteresting compared with your opportunities and experiences at your fingertips as one of My elite rulers.
120. Or if you're a music lover, there is enough music up Here to satisfy your every need and desire for eternity, and more being written and produced every second by professionals of the highest caliber. Where do you think the good stuff‚ the catchy stuff, the cool stuff comes from anyway? Who do you think the Devil is imitating when he pulls off a wickedly catchy hit?
121. It's all here, My loves—all you could ever desire and more! And what is more, Heaven is not a classless society. Those who have given up the most for Me have the most freedom to experience everything they could want up Here. Those who were more into the Earth and its pleasures have to go through some learning and reeducation before they receive the honor of partaking of the full spectrum of Heaven's pleasures.
122. So, simply put, do you want to give up a little now, to enjoy it all forever? Or do you want to hang on to your cheap imitations now, and then wait longer to have the genuine articles?
123. It's not unfair of Me to ask this of you. It's just part of discipleship. Those who are destined to receive the greatest honor must be willing to sacrifice for it. If you want to be one of My Endtime witnesses, you must be willing to train and prepare for it, just as those who run in the Olympics don't go straight to the big games. They have to train and prepare, and they don't think it unfair. They know it's all part of the deal. So it is with you. It's simply up to you whether you want to take part or not. (End of message.)
In summary:
124. (Mama:) The specific counsel I mentioned would be coming your way in upcoming Shooting Straight GNs will be helpful in further putting skin on these messages from the Lord. But the pith of His counsel is right here—it's really up to you. So please take some time to meditate on this and pray about it, both individually and as a Home‚ and let the Lord speak to you and give you both the specifics, as well as the faith‚ for whatever He knows would be best for you and your situation. He loves you so much. Keep reminding yourself that there's nothing He'd ask you to give up for which He's not prepared to give you 100 times more in return. He's not asking you to give up anything that is good for you. He just wants to be able to keep you to what is good, and He doesn't want you to allow anything harmful. So give Him some cooperation, so that He can help you become the strong, faithful disciple you want to be!
Key promises:
125. Claim the keys of a clean spirit to keep your heart and mind sanctified through the washing of My Words, and I will do the miracle and keep your heart fixed on Me so that no "little foxes" will enter.
126. Claim the power of the keys as you re-enter the realm of choices, that your dedication to Me and to remaining separate and clean from the impurities of the world will keep you strong against the temptations of the Evil One.
127. The keys of dedication will do what you cannot do, and will help you keep your mind firmly fixed on the goals that we set together!
128. Now you are clean through this time of renewal, and you can remain clean through the power of the keys of dedication and determination to be the free Endtime soldier that I have called you to be! You can do it with the keys at your side!
129. Glory to the keys! Glory be to the people of the keys who will keep the renewal forever within their hearts as they wield the keys turned to swords!
130. Cut the Devil to the heart! Whack him! Smash him! Thrash him with the power that you have by wielding the sharp key of dedication! The more this key is used in your life, the sharper it will become for you‚ and you will cut the Enemy to the heart whenever he tempts you to fall back on your goals of staying clean for Me and separate from the world!
Challenging Thot:
131. (Mama: ) This is a lot longer than our usual "Challenging Thots," to say the least, ha! But it's a beautiful and motivating message, and I believe it will be encouraging for you as you pray about making these changes in your life and Home.
132. (Jesus:) There is more to the life of a disciple than all the promises of "greater-works-than–these-shall-ye-do" that I gave to My earlier disciples. And that "something more" comes in the form of daily sacrifice for Me. It comes in the form of taking up your cross daily and following after Me. It comes in the form of dying to yourself daily, giving up your expectations and desires in order to put My work, My Family, and My ministries before your own.
133. Sacrifice is a difficult thing to master. It's tough. It's not easy to give Me your desires in order to put My wishes before your own. I know you know this. I've been watching you and I have seen what you have given up in order to become the men and women that I need you to be. I have seen how you have surrendered your will so that the job on Earth can be accomplished. I am so proud of each one of you for the sacrifice you have made!
134. My loves, you are doing so much for Me, but you will go on to accomplish and do even more for Me in your life as a disciple‚ witnesser, childcare worker, cook, home caretaker, follow–up'er‚ board member, musician, dancer, computer technician, writer, etc. But to do more and to accomplish more, you will need to see and realize that you will not be able to do all I have in store for you to do by just sacrificing here and there, or by just making one big sacrifice which you hope will be enough to last you until the End. No, My loves. If you truly want to accomplish great things for Me‚ if you want to take your personal life as a disciple somewhere for Me, then you need to realize that I will require more and more sacrifice of you.
135. For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify Me in your bodies and in your spirits, which are Mine. As My own bought and paid-for servants, I ask that you do something for Me. I ask that you take up the cross that I give each of you to bear—and each person has their own cross—and bear it daily.
136. To get the results that you want and what you are looking for, you will need to give something for it. I gave My life for it. Now I ask what you will give. I see you have given Me your life—some in full and some in part—and I am so thankful for this. This is already so wonderful‚ but to truly be a great man or woman for Me, I ask you to look at your life of service for Me and see that I will be asking more of you. I will be requiring more of your time, more of your skills, more of your service, more of your love, more dedication, more commitment, more humility—just about more of everything! And what does it mean when someone asks more of you? It means more sacrifice, right?
137. My loves, I know each of you longs to know the secret to pleasing Me and to becoming someone who lights up this world. It hasn't always been your number-one desire, but through this renewal and through the things I am taking each of you through, you are changing and you find yourselves desiring this.
138. Well, the secret comes one step at a time. It comes from waking up each morning and asking Me, "What do You want from me today, dear Love?" But don't stop there! As you go through your day, I will show you. There will be steps to take and things to do that you might not have been required to do before. There might be a new responsibility to take on that day that wasn't asked of you before. And all these things will require more from you. It will take more time, more energy, more motivation, more dedication‚ and even more sacrifice.
139. Some of you may hear the word "sacrifice" and be thinking, "Oh no, what more does the Lord want from me now? I've already given all that I can give. Isn't He happy with the decisions I've made and the sacrifices I have made so far?" Oh yes, My loves, more than happy, I am overjoyed! I don't want you to be getting fearful or shut yourself off to this word altogether‚ as some of you may be tempted to do. I want to show you today the beauty of the word "sacrifice." I want to show you what it means for you. I want you to take a bite of this word and see how good it tastes. I want you to put on My glasses of faith and then take a good look at the word and see what lies behind it.
140. Do you remember the story of the father who lost his only beloved son, and before the father died, he advertised that his many riches would be auctioned off? Before they would move on to all the fabulous furniture, the expensive "toys," he asked the auctioneer to auction off the picture of his beloved son. It was an uninteresting looking thing. Who would want a picture of a dead boy? The frame wasn't even nice looking. No one bid, but the auctioneer persisted. Finally, the gardener‚ a faithful man, bid. But what had he to offer? He hardly had anything to give. The picture went to him, and with it he received the whole estate. Every last part of the rich man's inheritance went to this faithful gardener. You may have heard this story told in a different way‚ but what I want to bring to your attention with this example is that though something may not seem so glorious and you may need to give everything you've got to inherit it, along with that sacrifice comes My inheritance to you, which is a great reward. Not only do I have blessings for you on Earth‚ but many are the rewards that await you Here in My Kingdom!
141. If you were able to see what I have in store for each sacrifice you have made, you would be willing to make every single one. But you won't be able to see your reward in full until your service for Me on Earth is over, so I say to you what I said to My disciples when I was on Earth, "Blessed are those who having not seen have believed. Great is their faith!"
142. After all, this life is a life of faith. It helps to maintain a heavenly perspective on Earth, even though it is difficult to do. By calling on the keys of heavenly vision, heavenly thought power, and full possession, you will receive a greater dose of My mind. You will be able to say as David Livingstone said, "I have never made a sacrifice!" You will know that it doesn't matter what you are asked to do here for Me, because what I have to give you in return is far greater than any sacrifice you have made or could ever make for Me.
143. You will be like Abraham, who believed, not having seen the promise, but he was willing to give up his homeland to search for a better one. Paul was willing to go through tough circumstances. Talk about sacrifice! He sacrificed even his flesh for Me, but he says he would do it all over again and more joyously than before, now that he has seen what I have in return for those who give their life completely to Me.
144. It's going to be a new day in My Family. Well, each day with Me is a new day‚ but I am bringing a change to My Family and I will be expecting more from each of My disciples.
145. The journey is not going to get easier; in fact, it will get tougher. There will be much more to do. It will take a lot more to maintain a Family Home. As the days grow darker and you shine brighter, more sheep will come to your doors. You might even find yourself keeping a schedule you thought you couldn't keep before. You might need to wake up earlier, spend more time with the kids, jump into taking on the responsibility of shepherding a Home, or become a shepherd of your peers or the JETTs or the children or your Activated friends. You might be asked to take on ministries that you don't think you have the skill for or think you can do. You might be asked to pioneer a witnessing method or even a new city. Many of you have already taken steps of faith that you couldn't see yourself taking before, so you know what I'm talking about.
146. If I am going to be asking that you stretch yourself in ways that you haven't before, then you should know that with each request I ask, I have something special to give back to you. I may ask you to do something that is very difficult for you to do, but I will never ask something of you without giving you something in return that is worth more or of greater value. If you truly value your lives‚ then you will find that giving your life completely to Me and to My service is the best investment you could ever make. And when you look at it that way, you will find yourself asking‚ "What's the big deal anyway? Sure, I can do this for my Husband. He's given so much to me, it's not too much for Him to ask that I give everything of mine in return." As you continue to invest your life, sacrificing what you have in order to further My work, you will find that you have gained riches above what you could ever imagine or ask for.
147. The immediate return gift I give to My brides who give all and count it worthwhile to live in sacrifice to Me are gifts of happiness, love, satisfaction, fulfillment, and peace. They are brides who find a contentment that is hard to explain. They start doing things "just because." It's just because they love Me, just because they love others, just because they know that there is much more to come.
148. Open your arms wide, My brides, and receive this life of sacrifice that I have for you. Revel in the beauty of being able to give of yourself even until it hurts, but then seeing that you reap great rewards in return. Dance in the light of My anointing for you. If you will only ask, I will give you a desire and passion to live the life of sacrifice. I will give you the gift of sacrifice. It's a humble name, but it's really one of the best gifts I can give you, along with My gifts of salvation, humility, servitude, grace, patience, and happiness. They appear to be lowly gifts at times, but open your eyes in the spirit and see their true value.
149. Thank you for becoming proud of your heritage. Thank you for being willing to show the world how far you are willing to go for Me. I want you to turn others on to living this life. Although this life is not a glamorous one, you will live to see the day when there will be those who will be reaching for it as if it were a rare and precious treasure. They will want that crown. It may seem like a sacrifice to die for something you cannot see, but that is how far I will expect you to go for Me. Don't be like the man who ran away from his crown‚ but "hold that fast which thou hast."
150. Say along with David Livingstone‚ "I have never made a sacrifice!" Count it joy when you are asked to sacrifice, knowing that you are standing right in line to receive your just reward. I even say that you should look for sacrifice. If you don't feel you are sacrificing, ask yourself, "What is the Lord asking me to sacrifice? Which areas of my life is He expecting me to give more of?" I will show you. I will tell you.—Because I don't want you to miss out on the blessing I have to give you in return. I love you so much! Not only did I die so that you might live, not only did I take the sins of the world, but I love you so much that for each sacrifice you make for Me—whether small or big—I love to repay.
151. So what do you say? Are you interested in this investment? Are you willing to put all your time, resources, strength, effort, talents, and your very life into this investment? The more you give, the more you will receive. That's the name of the game. It's worth it! I will give you the grace you need. The anointing I am making available to you will help you to grab ahold of the days that are ahead of you and walk in full faith, knowing that I will bring you through. (End of message.)
Dig deeper
r"Listening or Lamenting," ML #320:1-22, 28-30, DB 6
r"Where Are We Now‚" ML #3027:187-188, Lifelines 22
r"Prophecies on Yieldedness," ML #3044:67-70, Lifelines 23
r"Problems and Solutions, Part 2‚" ML #3070:32–42‚ Lifelines 23
r"Charter Responsibilities," ML #3197:52-55, 61-67, GN 803
r"Mama's Memos, No.9," ML #3243:5-9, GN 845
r"The Shakeup 2000," ML #3257:26-28, 48-60, 163-166, 207-210, GN 857
r"More on 'The Shakeup 2000,'" ML #3262:40-41, GN 863
r"Understanding Prophecy‚ Part 2," ML #3304:100-110, 119-120, GN 905
r"Issues, Part 14," ML #3442:49-51, GN 1026
r"Issues, Part 15‚" ML #3444:32-34, GN 1029
r"Praise Your Way to Victory," ML #3449:81-89, GN 1034
r"Show Me the Money, Part 1," ML #3462:149-153, GN 1047
r"Choices and Consequences, Part 2," ML #3485:203–204‚ 206, GN 1070
r"Faith for the Future," ML #3487:188-190, GN 1081
rFJWL 1: #48, 219‚ 370
rFJWL 2: #64, 156‚ 545
r"Christian's Relationship to Worldly Society," 2A‚ 3, Word Basics
r"Discipleship‚" 8-10, Word Basics
Copyright © 2004 by The Family International
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