Maria
January 22, 2005
GN 1120 FD/MM/FM
For age 16 and up. Parents and shepherds can share portions of this counsel or information with their JETTs and junior teens as the Lord leads.
By MariaFD/MM/FM 3530 1/05
My dearest Family,
1. I want to start by expressing Peter's and my appreciation for all your prayers, love, and support during this difficult time. When we received the news about Ricky and Angela, we were having a much-needed break from our regular work and travels, taking some days of rest and spiritual retreat. That was a blessing from our Husband, as it allowed us to have extra time with Him when we needed it most, and time to receive His answers not only for our own hearts, but also for you, dear Family. Our Husband has upheld and sustained us, and we know that your prayers played a big part in that. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
2. Now that we have had a bit of time to digest the news and discover more of what happened, as well as hear from the Lord extensively‚ we want to share with you more of our Husband's perspective on the situation. Peter shared many of the specific details with you via his notes on the MO site, so in this GN I won't go into everything that he already explained. I'll be focusing mainly on what the Lord wants us to gain as a result of this very shocking event. It will take some time to get all the material to you that I think you'll benefit from, so please be patient, as there is still a lot that we have to attend to. And if you don't have all your questions answered immediately, don't hesitate to go to the Source of all knowledge and answers and wisdom personally, and He will pour out abundantly to you.
3. Also, please understand that I and my helpers put this GN together for you amidst a lot of other business and timely matters related to all that has recently transpired, so it's not going to be perfect. I don't have the time to cover every single angle of every single question‚ nor comment extensively on the prophecies. So please bear with me and understand that Peter and I are doing the best we can at this time to inform you of the facts of the situation, as well as give you some of the Lord's heavenly perspective and spiritual truths behind the happenings.
4. This subject matter is sobering, sad‚ and shocking, as you know. I'm sure it made you very sad and sobered to hear it, and you probably would rather not dwell on it. We all wish that it had not happened. But since it did happen, we need to learn all we can from it, and that's our job as shepherds, to give you what the Lord shows us, even though it affects us very personally. So regardless of the fact that it's a difficult situation for me personally, I am still responsible to keep working so I can share the Lord's perspective with you, and I know it will benefit you. It reminds me of what Dad said I told him in the "Hamburger Boat" dream, "You can't turn out the lights just because you're crying" (ML #340:14, Vol.3).
5. We don't know all the facts of how this came about physically‚ even though we have investigated and found out all we could. Some of the details of how things happened we will never know on Earth because we weren't there when it happened‚ and no one else was either. But we know a lot about what was going on in the spirit and how the Lord sees it, because He has revealed much of that to us. The Lord also talked a lot about the spiritual warfare, the choices Ricky made, the timing of it all, the significance, and what we can expect in the future. We're going to share some of this with you.
6. We are so blessed to understand and be better able to grasp what is happening in the spirit. When you believe in Heaven, in light and darkness, God and the Devil and the spiritual warfare, and understand how all these things work together or fight against each other, then things make sense, and even a heartbreaking event like the death of someone you love is not the end of everything—because you know you'll see them again. Without that heavenly perspective, events like this one can seem so pointless, and you can even begin to doubt God's love and care. For the poor people of the world who have no hope and no idea why things happen to them, it's senseless and without any rhyme or reason whatsoever.
7. But we are blessed to be able to ask the Lord for His perspective, and through it get a picture of what happened in the spiritual realm and why things turned out the way they did. Then, even though things are still sad and we wish they hadn't happened the way they did, at least there is some sense to it and we can learn from it.
8. Our antagonistic apostates and detractors are not going to believe what I share with you in this GN, because they have rejected the truth‚ they no longer believe in the spiritual warfare—in fact, some no longer believe in God—and they will simply think I'm trying to explain everything away in spiritual terms. But I'm going to share the Lord's counsel with you, dear Family‚ regardless of how I know our detractors will pick every word apart. This small group of vindictive apostates is using this situation to their own ends, to accomplish their agenda—which is ultimately the Devil's agenda. They are the ones who are being closed-minded in this situation, and I leave them in the Lord's hands.
9. There are several main points that I want to get across in this GN and reasons the Lord has shown us to share His counsel with you:
10. 1) We want to share the Lord's comfort with you. He has poured out abundantly to us, and since you are our Family and this has been difficult for you too, we want to share His Words with you. Ricky and Angela are both in Heaven, regardless of the manner in which they died. It was sad, it was shocking, but they are the Lord's‚ and so even in this sad situation the Devil won no lasting victory.
11. 2) To share the lessons. The Lord has given a lot of answers about why this happened, how Ricky got to such a state that he actually premeditated and committed murder, and instruction that we can learn from. You will be sobered by the Lord's Words on this topic, and it will also give you understanding and comfort that "the curse causeless shall not come" (Pro.26:2). It's not that Ricky just snapped one day and did such a thing. There was a lot of background that we can learn from and be forewarned.
12. As you know, Ricky had left the Family several years ago, and after extensive contact with apostates‚ had become quite negative. While he was in the Family, he was a sweet, normal guy. He had weaknesses—such as his pride, resistance to counsel and shepherding, being analytical, listening to a lot of System music, and a fascination for evil‚ violence and martial arts. While he was yielded to the Lord and kept those weaknesses in check, he was wonderful. He was sweet, a gentleman, and a huge blessing in the Home. He prayed beautiful prayers. He loved the Lord and tried to please Him. He was fun to have around‚ very interesting to talk to, and had a lot of friends in WS. However, when he didn't yield to the Lord, when he let his weaknesses get out of check, when he was rebellious and tried to cover his sins and hide them instead of forsaking them and asking for prayer, he (like any of us who would do those things) became spiritually weakened‚ and eventually it took him out of the Family.
13. It's important to understand the progression of events, and the difference between the way Ricky was while in the Family, and even how he was when he first left the Family, and the way he became when he started associating with some extremely bitter, negative apostates and detractors and taking on their bitternesses and complaints as his own.
14. He wasn't always unhappy and tormented. He wasn't always violent and full of rage. He might not have liked shepherding so much‚ but he didn't hate the Family or me or Dad or anyone else; he was happy in the Family, and he loved me and Dad as his parents. He had his issues and his weaknesses, but no more so than many others. In fact, he told me personally at the time of the S2K that if he could fulfill his personal wishes, he would want to just get away and live on a ranch in Montana or Wyoming and not have to be what he knew the Lord expected of him in being an example to others. But he said that despite what his personal preference might have been, he knew the Family was where God wanted him, and that it was his destiny, and he had decided to go for it.
15. However, shortly thereafter his convictions started weakening as he saw what would be expected of him in changing some of his attitudes and becoming the disciple the Lord had called him to be. He knew it was going to be a real fight‚ and he saw how hard it was going to be because he had become spiritually weakened. His problems became serious when he stopped making the decision to yield to the Lord‚ and eventually those decisions led him out of the Family.
16. After leaving the Family, he didn't have to become so apostate and negative. He wasn't that way at first. It was after he spent time with the apostates and took on their rage and anger, and spent a lot of time listening to the Devil, that he became very negative‚ hateful, and full of bitterness and a desire for supposed "revenge," to the point where he was posting on the Internet that he desired to find and kill Peter and me, "slit our throats," or cause us serious bodily harm.
17. We loved Ricky. He was our son and we did what we could to help him and support him. But once he insisted that he no longer even wanted to hear from us, we respected his wishes. However, even then we wrote him from time to time—on his birthday and at Christmas. We tried to reach out to him. We prayed for him daily. As much as we loved him as a son, we weren't at all happy with what he was doing, and we certainly look with horror on his killing Angela. Now we all see what his extreme bitterness, pride, and rebellion led to. We don't have words to express how sorry we are that he didn't overcome these things, although we desperately prayed that he would. But the Lord's hands are tied when people don't make the right decisions.
18. However‚ the Lord said that our prayers for Ricky were not wasted, but that they had prevented him from doing anything worse and from causing even more pain. Of course, it's hard to imagine that he could do anything more harmful than violently taking the life of someone so dear and selfless and giving as Angela, someone who would have never dreamed of hurting Ricky or anyone else. But it seems clear that if he could have, he would have done whatever he could to hurt many others as well. The Lord allowed this situation because that was what it took to stop him from causing any more harm to himself or others on Earth.
19. The apostates are blaming the Family and me for what Ricky did, the same thing Ricky did on the video he made. They are saying that because of his upbringing, that we in essence "made" him do it. And most are saying, or at least have implied‚ that he was justified in doing what he did, because it was only fair for him to get revenge.
20. Peter and I, and of course Dad as well, have said many times before that we are not perfect. I do not consider myself to be the perfect mother, but I do know and believe with all of my heart that I did all that I could to love Ricky‚ to see to it that he was raised right, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and I know Dad and Peter‚ and all of those who helped to care for Ricky over the years, did everything they could to this end as well. I know I made mistakes‚ as every parent does. But regardless, Ricky was loved and he was given the best care possible. Of that I am certain.
21. However, even if people choose to believe the apostate and media line, that Ricky's childhood was horrible, that would still in no way or under any circumstances justify the horrendous crime of premeditated murder of an innocent person. That's against the laws of both God and man.
22. There's absolutely no excuse for violence, no matter what happens to us in life. There's no excuse for listening to the Enemy and taking on his mind and ways. There's no excuse for taking things into our own hands. There's no excuse for anger and revenge. That's not God's way; it's the Devil's way. What Ricky did was wrong, appalling, horrific and horrible. He had the power through his choices to forsake whatever burdens he carried; he had the power to choose good and love and light. But he didn't.
23. The Lord said that Ricky had many chances to make the right choices, but he consistently made the wrong ones, because of his pride. He made the wrong choices deliberately. He knew what he was doing, and he didn't want to yield to the Lord.
24. 3) To bring out the lessons we can learn from what happened to Angela. Angela was one of His beloved brides, and is now in Heaven, safe and happy and whole, and greatly rewarded for her years of faithfulness to Him. But the Lord has said that she didn't have to die this way, at this time. He could have protected her. It's a good reminder for all of us to stay desperate with the Lord and obedient to the counsel He has given us for our protection and safety, such as going two by two, etc. Angela was reaching out in love to Ricky and wanting to help and encourage him, and the Lord will greatly reward her for that sacrifice. But it wasn't wise to go see him alone, and the Lord could have warned her if she had been more in tune with Him. Nevertheless, the Lord will bring good out of it, and Angela is very happy now, and safe forever. Even though it saddens us to bring out these lessons, if it will help preserve someone else's life, it's worth it.
25. 4) To encourage you that the Lord is in control, and that we never need to fear the Enemy's power. The Lord's power is greater than the Enemy's, and our Husband will triumph in every battle! Hearing about something like this can tend to make you fearful that something similar could happen to you or one of your loved ones. But you can be fully assured of our wonderful Husband's protection if you are in the center of His will. Put your mind on praising the Lord and don't allow yourself to succumb to the Enemy's fear.
26. 5) We also want to remind you that there is no need to fear our apostates or fear any resulting persecution. Yes, there will be persecution—and we're already experiencing it. All of this that's happening is persecution. Some of our most vengeful detractors are trying to intimidate people. This relatively small group is trying to destroy our work for the Lord. They're trying to make it impossible for us to win souls. It's persecution, and we know that it will only get more intense as we get closer to the Endtime. But that should not make us fearful. Instead it should make us better fighters, more on the attack than ever before!
27. The Family is not to blame in this situation. The Family is going in the direction the Lord is leading us, so there is nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of or fearful about‚ regardless of mistakes that have been made in the past. We're going forward, we're winning souls. We have to stand strong and go ahead with what we're supposed to do, and not be dragged down by all of this.
28. The spiritual warfare is heating up, but we have all we need to fight effectively, if we stay close to the Lord and obedient to Him. Even this situation will work together for good as the Lord wills. The Enemy cannot and will not win!
29. 6) The promises and prophecies the Lord formerly gave about Ricky were conditional, just as personal prophecies for all of us are. As you know, the Lord's will and His promises being fulfilled are dependent on our choices. We are all familiar with this concept, since we as a Family came very close to forfeiting our place as the Lord's Endtime ecclesia, and He explained in great detail how our place would be given to another if we didn't do our part to become dropped out in spirit and the disciples and testimony of discipleship that we need to be.
30. This is the same principle that applies to the promise the Lord gave about Ricky in the past. Dad received from the Lord that Ricky would be one of the Endtime witnesses. The Lord said many times that Ricky would return to Him eventually. Well‚ Ricky did return to Him, but not in the way we would have liked. Ricky made choices that made it impossible for the Lord to fulfill His highest and best, so the Lord will choose another way to fulfill His will. He will raise up someone (or some ones) to do what He had called Ricky to do in the Family as His witness and disciple. And even though Ricky took his own life, he is now with the Lord and can begin to repent and learn and be retrained. The Lord will explain more details about this concept in some of the messages that follow in this GN.
31. 7) This is a clear wake-up call that it is wartime‚ and things will never be the same again. The Lord is calling each of us to a heightened awareness of what is taking place in the spiritual realm. The spiritual warfare is on and we are in it, like it or not, believe it or not. Most of you who prayed about this event received personal counsel from the Lord along these lines. And if you haven't done so, I suggest you do, so you can benefit from it personally.
32. Several of you have written me that hearing of this situation has been a real wake-up call for you, and has redefined the reality of the spiritual warfare, similar to how the situation with Joe and Megan brought home the concept of personal accountability and obedience. The Lord will use this in your life to greatly strengthen and mature you, if you will go to Him about it.
33. 8) The Lord wants to bring out lessons of faith and spiritual strength. Speaking to you, dear Family, the Lord said:
34. (Jesus: ) I wish to bring to your attention the importance of strengthening your faith and trust in Me at this time. Many of you, My brides, even My strong and loyal brides, were shaken by these recent events—first the tsunami and other recent natural disasters, and then this situation with Ricky and Angela. Many of you have not reacted to these events in a spirit of faith and trust, but rather with spirits of doubt, of questioning Me and My love, of disbelief. Your first reactions, for the most part, have not been reactions of rising above‚ reactions of faith or trust, but rather the opposite.
35. This is an important point that you must realize, a weakness that you must fight to overcome‚ because these types of tragic events—either natural disasters, signs of the times, or even situations of persecution—are only going to become more common as you get closer to the End. It is imperative that you therefore see these situations with faith, through My eyes, and with solid confidence that all things work together for good to them that love Me.
36. Too many are looking at things that have happened with their carnal minds, and letting their first reactions be those of fear‚ of doubt, and of questioning. Each one must ask Me for greater faith, because only with greater faith in Me‚ My power, My promises, and My ability to maintain control will you be strong enough to face the days ahead.
[Text box.]
37. (Question:) Lord, can You please explain how the tsunami shook some people's faith?
38. (Jesus:) Many had their faith shaken by the tsunami, I am sorry to say. It's not that it had the same effect on them as Angela's murder and Ricky's suicide, but in their heart they wondered, "How could God allow such a thing? Why did He do that, killing so many people?" And, although they know the answers to such questions are in the Word, they did not take action to answer this question and root out the beginnings of this little seed of doubt‚ of criticism. It has chipped away at the faith of some in subtle ways, because the Enemy is always eager to explain how unloving and uncaring I am, and he exploits such opportunities. (End of message.)
[End of text box.]
39. (Mama:) We're not sharing all this with you just for information's sake. There are specific lessons the Lord wants each of us to learn from this. The Lord didn't will it to happen; He didn't want it to happen. But now that it has happened‚ He will turn it for good, and wants to use it to bring home some very strong, clear, powerful lessons for each one of us.
40. While the Lord wants to turn it for good, the Devil is also busy trying to use it to do as much damage as possible. A few of our vocal and apostate detractors have taken this situation and are trying to cast the blame on me and Peter and Dad and the Word, and ultimately hurt your faith and pull you out of the Family.
41. And the reason the Devil targets us so much is that we are actively winning people to Jesus every single day. For our size‚ we're the most active Christian missionary organization around, and every single one of you is a huge threat to the Devil's kingdom and his plans! So he hates you! He hates the Family! He hates your unity and testimony. He hates your conviction. He hates what you do for Jesus every single day, and he's out to stop you!
42. I'm not going to get into all the accusations of our detractors and apostates in detail, because they're ridiculous. They're also cruel and in very bad taste, at a time when we have just lost a son and a very dear friend, and are coping with the tragedy of our son's committing murder and then choosing to take his own life.
43. I'm not letting their accusations affect me personally, because I know the truth. I know how Ricky was raised—I was there. I know how much I loved him—I'm his mother. I know that he was happy, well adjusted, and well taught throughout his childhood. I know the opportunities that were given to him to learn and experience the things he was interested in. I know we gave him the best we could. I also know about the decisions he made in his adult life, and how he changed after his contact with our detractors and apostates, how they influenced his mentality‚ his happiness, and contributed to this sad situation through their negativity, bitterness, and venom.
44. So the lies and accusations of our detractors don't faze me. As I've said before, Jesus and the great men and prophets of old had enemies who said worse things about them, so we count ourselves in good company. It's also been foretold all the way from Bible times that we would face serious persecution for "living godly in Christ Jesus," and "if they hated Me, they will hate you also" (2Tim.3:12; Jn.15:18). So we are prepared for persecution, and expecting it, and are not surprised or shaken.
45. We're not going to get into debunking every falsehood, because there are so many of them floating around that it would waste both your and our time. But we are going to share with you the Lord's Words and His perspective‚ and let that clear things up.
46. It's up to you how you choose to see this, and every other sad or tragic event, for that matter. But we will share the Lord's Words with you here about how He sees the situation, the good He is able to bring from it‚ and the lessons He wants us to learn from it. Many channels have prayed about this, many of them of their own initiative when they heard the news initially, and the Lord has confirmed the spiritual facts many times over, through many different messages. Peter and I are praying for you, "that your faith fail not."
47. To begin with, here are some of the promises of comfort our Husband has given regarding this situation. As always, all things work together for good to those of us who love Him. Even though this situation was tragic‚ Ricky and Angela are in the Lord's hands now—Angela receiving her wonderful rewards for her more than 30 years of faithful service to Jesus and others, and Ricky receiving whatever the Lord knows he needs at this time; the Devil no longer has control of him.
48. (Jesus: ) Let not your heart be troubled and let it not be sorrowful. Rejoice for Angela, for she is free at last! Her spirit can now be truly free and she can dance in the sunlight again, free of troubles, confusion, mind battles, and the pain and heartache of Earth.
49. She made the choice in the spirit long ago to give her life for Me, even if it meant that she would one day die for Me, and she trusted in My divine wisdom and foresight in knowing exactly how she could give her life where it would really count toward the greater good. And she did just that, and great is her honor.
50. Now I want you to honor her death by lifting your eyes up in faith toward Me—toward the sunlight—knowing that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Even though My ways are past fully understanding and comprehending there on Earth, trust in My great love that surpasses, encompasses, and washes over all mistakes‚ wrong choices, and even evildoing.
51. It is I Who stand on the shore of the seas of life as they wash up on My heavenly shores. It is I Who pick up even the debris, the broken pieces and things of this life‚ and here it is that I thread together even the broken strands, broken frames, and frayed edges of tapestries that seem to have gone awry.
52. Here it is that I make masterpieces out of chaos and tragedy. So shall I do in Ricky's life. The last threads of Angela's earthly life have a magnificence you will never fully appreciate on Earth, but will know in full when we all finally sing the songs of David together here with Me!
*
53. (Jesus:) I'm so sorry, My loves, that I had to allow this to come to fulfillment, for I know the personal pain and hurt that you now feel at this loss. However‚ I knew that in allowing the Vandari to take Ricky to the limit, they would no longer have full control over him, for he is now with My Spirit in the lower part of Heaven. He is now being washed and cleansed from the evil of his hands and the Enemy no longer has control of one of Mine, who was destined to inherit the Kingdom of God.
54. Through his choices, Ricky gave the Enemy full control, and I allowed it for a time, even for the Enemy to take his life‚ so that now I can have Ricky and have the control over his mind and spirit that is My privilege and right. I have delivered Ricky from the evil forces and taken him out of the world where he can no longer be used to hurt or harm others. I have brought him to a place in a lower part of Heaven where he will be cleansed, purged, and where he will learn to once again submit willingly to Me in humility and repentance.
55. Angela, who has always been one of My beloved brides, is more beautiful and happier than ever before. She didn't know how quickly I would deliver her from her troubled heart. I did so in a flash, in an instant. She felt almost no pain, for the second the Enemy laid his hand upon her, My Spirit enveloped her and brought her quickly into My arms, to her rightful place, the one she has sought with tears. She now has her reward, and she is overjoyed, beaming, and happier than she has ever been.
56. My loves‚ I want to comfort your hearts that although their passing is overcast with darkness in your earthly terms, they are both better off. Angela is in her new heavenly home, where she was greeted by your Father David. She is very excited to meet people and spirit helpers and spirit beings‚ thrilled to see the reality of her faith. Angela had the gift of helps on Earth, like an earthly angel, and now her heart's desire has been fulfilled in becoming one of My heavenly helpers. She will help many of you personally when she is ready.
57. Ricky is not at peace yet, for the reality of his error is very painful for him‚ but he will eventually have the peace he desperately seeks. He will be taken through his time of cleansing and full repentance slowly and gently, for there is much that his spirit must be cleansed of. But in time‚ all will be well with him, and he, too, will eventually help from the spirit world.
58. I have delivered them both.—Ricky from a tormented mind and a very troubled life of bitterness and hate in the System, to a place where he can now find peace; and dear Angela to her wonderful reward after serving Me well and sacrificially for most of her earthly life. I have now blessed her beyond her dreams.
59. Ricky is now beginning to understand the workings of the Vandari more clearly and to understand what he did wrong. If I had not taken Ricky, much more harm and hurt and evil would have been done, because the Vandari would have continued to use him. I have delivered him from having to experience even more pain of guilt and condemnation, and from having even more than his soul could bear. He is now carrying a great burden‚ but one that I will help him to lay at My feet in humility and submission to his Master.
*
60. (Jesus: ) When My children come here—especially if they're martyred and brought home to Me—they have a very special reward awaiting them. Once I spend some time with them, then they're free to pick any special treat they want up here, and the treats here are mighty special. Your Father David was here to welcome Angela, and they rejoiced together at the fact that Ricky is delivered, even if it was by death. He was a tormented and tortured soul, and now he is saved from doing any more damage to My children and My work.
61. Angela laid down her life for Me, and she will receive great reward. She died in love, as a martyr for Me, and her death is not in vain. She is now here with Me, with your Father David and with all her loved ones. Finally she's free—free to be the gypsy I created her to be.
62. Trust Me that even though on your side of the tapestry this looks muddled, dark, and gruesome, on this side, all is well and light‚ and she is infused with new life like she never had before!
63. (Mama:) As I said, the reason I'm sharing the information and prophecies in this GN with you is not simply so that you can be informed or comforted‚ dear Family, but so that you can also be warned and learn from this experience. The Lord doesn't allow these kinds of things to happen by accident, and usually there are many reasons for it, as well as numerous important and sobering lessons that those of us who are left behind can glean and benefit from.
64. Probably the biggest question on most people's minds is how Ricky could have gotten to the state where he was so overcome by the Enemy and evil and violence that he actually premeditated and committed a horrible murder. Although he wasn't perfect and had his problems, he was a sweet‚ loving, happy child and young person. (And I'm not saying this just because I'm a mother with fond memories. Other Family members have confirmed it as well, and if you're interested, you can check out their comments at www.myconclusion.com.) Ricky grew up in our Home, and had a lot of input and Word as a child and young teen. He had shepherding and he loved the Lord. So what happened? Did Ricky just snap one day and morph from a loving guy to someone who'd plan and commit murder? Did this just happen in a moment of weakness?
65. No! This kind of transformation doesn't happen overnight. It happened as a result of many, many wrong decisions on Ricky's part. It happened because over many days, weeks, months and years, Ricky yielded to the Enemy and rejected the truth. This began slowly while he was still in the Family—through little disobediences and yieldings to the Enemy here and there—and progressed much more rapidly once he left. I am so thankful to the Lord that I never had to see Ricky in that horrible state. The Ricky who killed Angela was a different person than the Ricky that Peter and I and his friends in the Family knew—someone completely consumed by hate, bitterness‚ anger, and violence, due to yielding to the Enemy.
66. You might think, "I yield to the Enemy sometimes. I don't always make the right decisions. So is something horrible like this going to happen to me? What's my protection?" Your protection is yielding to the Lord and staying ever so close to Him. The kind of spiritual and emotional deterioration that Ricky experienced does not happen quickly. It's the result of continually, over and over, choosing the Devil's way over God's way. It's the result of years of choosing evil over good. It's the result of rejecting every lifesaver the Lord sends your way. It's the result of yielding to pride and the Enemy's power. The Devil has no power over God's children unless they choose to yield themselves to him, as Ricky did‚ sadly.
67. This should not scare us or make us fearful that if we make a mistake, or if we're not as yielded as we should be‚ we're going to get devoured by the Enemy spiritually. But it sure should wake us up and shake us up to stay on the attack against the Enemy, to fight to yield every area of our life and heart to the Lord, and to not allow the Enemy any place in our hearts, lives and spirits. Ricky is an example of what can happen when you deliberately and regularly and consciously reject the Lord over and over and over again, which, over time, allows the Enemy more and more control. Eventually you are consciously choosing the darkness over the light, the Devil's thoughts over godly ones. The Enemy plays for keeps‚ and he'll use anyone he can get to do his dirty work.
68. The following prophecy excerpts shed more light on what happened in the spirit, and what opened the door for Ricky to be able to walk so far into the Enemy's world of darkness and malice.
69. (Jesus:) The Enemy goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Because of the choices that Ricky made to reject Me and My will for him, and what he knew deep down in his heart was the truth, he became easy prey for the Enemy, who did indeed devour him—both by taking over his actions‚ and then by destroying his own body. But through that, the Enemy also defeated himself, because Ricky is now free to learn and understand and find the happiness that he so longed for, but which always eluded him because he wasn't willing to humble himself to accept it.
70. It's a good lesson on how far pride can take you if you yield to it. Ricky just didn't want to admit when he was wrong; he didn't want to accept that the things that I was telling him in his heart were true, so he hardened himself to them and tried to convince himself that they were false. If they had indeed been false, then he would have been able to reject them easily. But because he knew deep down that they were true, he couldn't shake it, and in the end he felt compelled even to physically strike against someone who represented that truth, and then to take his own life, in an attempt to destroy that truth in his heart.
71. These are not events that happen in a day or as a result of one wrong decision. Rather it's the accumulation of many opportunities to receive My love and My truth‚ which are rejected in favor of pride. Those wrong decisions add up until the path is a downward spiral, which becomes increasingly more difficult to reverse course on. So it's a sober warning not to get started on that path lest it become easier to continue making those wrong choices, and more difficult to reverse course and head toward the light.
72. I'm not talking about continuing in service to Me in My Family, because not everyone is called to that, and not everyone has to be doing that in order to have a measure of contentment in their lives. The Family is only for the few who truly want to give their lives to Me with full commitment. Leaving the Family does not automatically mean a life of unhappiness or one full of wrong choices. But I do have a purpose and plan for each person, and when someone continues to reject that purpose—whatever it may be—then it becomes increasingly difficult for them to find the peace that I wish to bless them with.
73. In many cases, as with Ricky, I have My highest will for someone, which might be a life of full-time service and dedication to Me; but then I also have many other options that they can choose from‚ which may not be My highest, but where they can continue to receive My blessings in accordance with their choices. They can continue to lead a life that is happy and with peace in their hearts. With Ricky, there were many such choices that he could have made and which I would have blessed him for. Others of My children who leave the Family and forsake their high calling are also faced with such choices, and many make the right choices and find a measure of peace and happiness and My blessings. Others reject them all, one by one, because they are unwilling to accept any portion of My truth in their hearts. That was the case with Ricky.
74. It took some time as he struggled over the years, but he kept rejecting all the opportunities that I was putting before him—not opportunities to return to a life of service for Me in the Family‚ but opportunities in which he could find happiness and peace by being a blessing to others. Because he continued to listen to the Enemy, he rejected each of those opportunities in his heart, until in the end he rejected life itself.
75. Ricky is now safe‚ and My love for him, which has always been there and always been unconditional, will restore him fully. It will take some time, and he will have to make amends for the evil deed that he did‚ but he will be restored to Me and be happy and free at last.
76. Pray for those who, like Ricky, have forsaken their crown, and who may be wandering through the wilderness of life. I'm presenting them with opportunities to get on the right path—the path toward a happy and productive life‚ whether in the Family or out—but the Enemy is trying his damnedest to get them to reject those opportunities and choose the path of pride instead, which at first looks easier and more comfortable, but which eventually leads to destruction.
77. Pray for them, that they will yield to the voices of My spirit helpers who are trying to influence them as well. Our power is greater than the Enemy's, but I allow free will in each person's life, and therefore they must choose. As the Scripture says, "There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is destruction" (Pro.14:12). Pray for them, that they will choose My way.
*
78. (Jesus:) What I want you to gain from this situation is a greater faith and trust in Me, knowing that I'm in control and I do all things well. I also wish for it to serve as a sobering warning of what can happen and what depths one can sink to if they yield to the Enemy and turn their back to Me. You never thought that one who has served Me would be capable of something of this nature, but this shows you the lengths and the depths that the Enemy will take one who has given himself over to the Enemy through making the wrong choices.
79. Ricky didn't get this way from one day to the next. He wasn't on board and serving Me one moment, and then murdering someone in the next. That's not how it happened. It was a slow wearing away of conviction, resulting in compromise, then of making the wrong choices, then more wrong choices that led him further astray from Me—choices to yield to the darkness rather than to the light; choices to forsake Me completely, which then grew into bitterness and being filled with vengeance and a desire to hurt the ones he had loved so dearly.
80. This happened over time and with a series of many bad decisions—decisions that started off little at first, but then grew in proportion and wickedness to the point that the Devil had more control over his thoughts, mind—and finally actions—than I did. So be aware of where making wrong choices, or choices that yield to the Enemy or your pride‚ can take you.
81. But at the same time I don't want you to be overcome with fear that you will get to this state, or feel that if Ricky was capable of such a terrible act, then what is to stop you from going down that path. What will stop you is your yieldedness, your choices to say yes to Me—rather than to say no‚ as Ricky did. Constantly strive to yield and make an effort to say yes to Me, giving Me your life, your heart, your mind and spirit each day through the choices you make to give all to Me in full surrender. Then you'll never have to fear that the same fate will befall you. Dwell on the positive and not the negative, and you will find great peace and joy and fulfillment.
*
82. (Jesus:) You ask why this has happened; it is according to the choice of man. The pride of man is a deadly evil if not kept in check, if allowed to run wild as it did in Ricky's life. Because of unyieldedness and rebellion against Me and My ways, and clinging to darkness rather than light, the legions of Hell were given entrance to this wayward son. Ricky had a choice, but he clung to darkness rather than light. He could have rejected the darkness and accepted the light‚ but he would not.
83. There is no standing still in your spiritual life. There is no neutral mode. Even those who think they can be neutral, or think they can reject their heritage, their upbringing, who think they can put the truth on hold—it is not so. There is no standing still for My children; you are either going forward or backward.
84. After a certain point in his life, Ricky continually, on a daily basis, chose darkness over the light in many forms and many ways. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before something drastic happened.
85. Ricky appeared stable on the surface‚ but he was not stable in turning to Me, in shedding the bitterness in his heart, in rejecting the darkness and turning toward the light.
86. Ricky was barraged by voices—many voices calling out to him. Hell's angels were zeroing in on him, let loose on him, trying to turn him to evil. He listened to many voices, the wrong voices, and his voices led him astray; his voices led him to destruction.
87. Ricky is delivered. The Enemy cannot touch him now. The voices have no power over him now. Although his body was destroyed, his spirit was released, and he can now make progress from this side.
*
88. (Jesus: ) The days indeed grow darker, and I would that you‚ and all My children, be sobered by this, and become more alert to the Enemy's wiles. He does not cause something like this to come about in a mere second, but such horrible actions and choices come about when ground is yielded to the Enemy step by step. This is an even more extreme example of the principles I described in the messages in "Choices and Consequences."
89. This should not make you fearful, for My power is far greater than the Enemy's, and I do not let you, My children, get into such an evil course easily. It requires great effort on your part in the sense of many wrong decisions and many choices to yield to the Enemy over a long period of time, before the Enemy can gain such control.
90. Yet it should make you hate the Enemy with more of a vengeance than ever before, seeing how he harms and injures those who give in to his ways, and harms others through them. His offers often sound tempting, but his goal is always death—spiritual death‚ or physical death, or both. His aim is always to harm and hurt. He starts off slow, but once he has a hold on his prey‚ he strangles and suffocates the very life out of them through his darkness and evil and sin. He blackens the heart until there is no love left therein, but only hatred, bitterness, anger, and revenge. When Satan has control of a soul through these dark emotions, it always leads to evil of some sort.
91. Knowing that these evil spirits—"Hell's angels," as they have been called—are running rampant throughout the Earth in these dark times, I want you to step up your spiritual guard more than ever—not only for yourself, but for all those whom you love, near and far, in and out of the Family. I want you to fight more diligently in prayer, both to keep your own soul clean and pure toward Me, and to help keep the souls and spirits of your loved ones strong. Prayer for others cannot stop them from giving place to the Enemy, but it can aid them in turning away from him and turning toward the light—if they make the choices to receive the truth and the light.
92. (Mama: ) Our enemies are also using this situation to attempt to "prove" that because Ricky did such a horrible thing, there must be something really wrong with me or the Family. If Ricky turned out so bad, how could the Family be good? It's sort of like blaming Absalom's problems on his father, King David. Or blaming Saul's suicide on Samuel, because he anointed him as king. The Lord gave the following messages that give further insight into the choices that Ricky made in his life, and explain how the transformation from good to evil occurred.
93. (Jesus:) It is a question of the choices that each person makes. That verse, that "a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Mat.7:18)‚ is generally more applicable to a child when he is not yet of an age to make his own decisions and be responsible for them. Up till that time, the child's behavior, demeanor, and spirit are generally a reflection of his parents. If their parents are good, positive, loving, and kind, then the children generally are as well.
94. In this instance, up to a certain age Ricky was "good fruit" and was manifesting the truth he had received in his upbringing. But as the child became a man and began to make his own decisions, and as he began to yield to his pride, and as he consequently began to rebel and disobey, he corrupted his own fruit and became the victim of his choices.
95. People would like to victimize Ricky, and it's true he was a victim.—But not a victim of his upbringing‚ not a victim of the Family. He was a victim of his own rebelliousness and pride. He was a victim of his hatred and bitterness.
96. A tree can begin as a good tree and bear good fruit, but if you go and dump radioactive waste on that tree, what's going to happen? That tree isn't going to be bearing good fruit for long. If you pump the deceit and lies of the Enemy into the soil around the tree, the tree will soak it up and become what it takes in.
97. If Ricky had continued to receive the Word, if Ricky had continued to reject the lies of the Enemy, none of this would have turned out the way it did. But because he intentionally and defiantly drank in the most poisonous lies he could find; because he deliberately cut off the life-giving sap of the Word in his life and chose to instead soak in the poisonous wells of pride, doubt, and delusion, he chose to give up his "good tree" and willingly became a corrupt tree.
98. It's not that he didn't start out right; he did. But the time came when he chose to no longer let the Farmer tend to his tree. He decided that he'd had enough of the life-giving sap; he cut it off, and instead replaced it with the lies and poison of the world. These things‚ coupled with the choices he made to actively reject Me and the Spirit of truth, caused him to stray so far and come to this end.
99. His choices made him what he was. He chose his path. He was not the victim of misdirection; he chose the way he went. He looked at the road signs and chose the ways of the Devil over My ways. He made conscious decisions to go against Me and do whatever was the opposite of what he was taught. He made disobedience and defiance a frequent habit, and it changed him. His choices determined his life on Earth. He made himself what he was‚ and it was due to his decisions that he came to such a tragic end.
100. I tried to help him, I even had many of you praying for him, but he chose to reject the truth, and that was his undoing. Every time he made the choice to reject the conviction of the Holy Spirit and reject the Word and My voice in his heart, he chose his own damnation. He chose his own way, and as you can see‚ the way that seems right to a man is destruction.
101. The bottom line is that he was accountable—accountable for all he'd been given and all the Word he'd had. All the "good fruit" he had seen and partaken of made him that much more accountable for it. But he chose wrong over right, rebellion over surrender, pride over humility, and his own way led him to his own destruction.
102. Let that be a warning to you. You are also accountable, and if you consistently disobey and choose your own way in willful rejection of My way, you will also end up in a mess. The fear of God is to hate evil (Pro.8:13). Ricky knew that, and in an attempt to squelch and destroy that fear of Me, he embraced evil. He embraced all that was opposite to Me, and such choices bring with them the consequences of such actions.
103. He knew full well what he was doing and where he was heading, and he chose to continue down that path. So I had to let him come to his end and to ruin to save him. I had to let him go as far as he did so that he and others could see the results of his choices.
*
104. (Jesus:) My dear ones‚ there are many lessons for you in this situation with Ricky, but the one I would remind you of now is that of obedience rather than rebellion, of yieldedness rather than hardening your heart.
105. Remember the story of King Saul of old? When he was little in his own sight‚ I made him the head of My people and anointed him. I had a great future ahead for him if he would have yielded to Me. But he would not.—Despite all the counsel and urgings and words of My prophet Samuel, who was like a father to him.
106. Ricky was similar: When he was little in his own sight, and yielded, I did greatly anoint him—and would have done even more so if he had continued down the right path. But‚ sadly, he chose his own path rather than Mine, despite all the urgings of My prophet David. And although that path seemed pleasant and comfortable at first, and easier to travel, it sloped downward and grew harder and tougher and more difficult and darker as it went, until Ricky reached its terrible dead end.
107. He could have chosen to turn around at any time, but he did not. He did not want to face the hard trek back up the stony path and over the rocks that is a part of making things right for anyone who has traveled the wrong way. He thought it was easier to simply keep going the way he was‚ the path of least resistance and effort spiritually, the way that seemed right to him. But in the end it was the way of death.
108. What led him down this path in the first place? It was rebellion, My loves, just as it was for King Saul of old. He thought he knew better than Me, better than My prophet, better than My Word, so he rebelled against My counsel and disobeyed. And when he came up against the fruit of that rebellion and was made to face his failures, rather than repenting and changing and turning around, he developed a grudge against Me‚ a bitterness against My prophet, a dislike of My Word, which pointed out his faults and exposed his true nature and problems. He became bitter rather than better, to the point that, in his last days, he was even willing to throw javelins at the anointed of God when they were trying to help him and soothe his spirit and drive out the evil spirits that had overtaken him and possessed him because of his rebelliousness.
109. Rebellion truly is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry‚ because it opens the door to many evil spirits, to every evil device of the Enemy, to the power of the Enemy to harden a heart and influence a mind and even control a body in the end, because rebellion is rejection of Me and My ways. Rebellion is more than simple disobedience‚ more than occasional unyieldedness. It is defiance and rejection, and results in iniquity and idolatry—turning to gods other than Me. This was Ricky's main problem, his rebellion, and it led him far, far astray, until he wound up the same as Saul, who fell on his sword and killed himself.
110. Beware of rebellion and rejection, My brides. Beware of stubbornness and of thinking you know better than Me. Beware of defiance and constant disobedience. The path they lead you down may seem pleasant at first, but it has an awful ending.
111. (Mama: ) Another question you might be wondering about is why the Lord allowed this to happen to Angela. Couldn't He have spared her from this horrible death? Yes, He definitely could have. However, there were many reasons why He allowed the events to transpire as they did—some of which you have already read about above.
112. As it's sometimes easy to forget, the Lord is bound by our choices—and in this situation, that included both Angela and Ricky's choices. When we allow ourselves to be put in dangerous situations, sometimes the Lord cannot fully protect us, because we've taken ourselves out of His bubble of protection through our choices. If Angela had been asking the Lord and following His counsel more closely, if she had been fully within His protection, then things might not have happened as they did. And I don't say this to criticize Angela; any one of us might have done the same thing. Nevertheless, the Lord is working all things together for good‚ and Angela is now in the midst of being wonderfully rewarded for her faithfulness and service to the Lord—including reaching out to Ricky out of love for him.
113. Here are some messages from the Lord about dear Angela, which we can certainly benefit from. It's comforting to know that we can be assured of the Lord's full protection if we are squarely within His will, if we are asking Him everything and availing ourselves of the counsel of others‚ going two-by-two whenever possible, and being prayerful in all we do. If we're fulfilling all of the conditions, we are assured of the best security and safekeeping our Husband has to offer, and we don't have anything to fear.
114. (Jesus:) Angela has been greatly honored by being the first of the martyrs for this Endtime era. Though she wasn't currently full-time in My service in the Family, she was still serving Me in her own way and trying to stay close to Me. She was tired, worn, and weary with the struggles she'd had‚ and yet she continued to seek Me and follow Me, even if not as closely as needed for her protection.
115. She gave her life for Me, for the Family, and for the young people of the Family. She gave her life for Ricky. She knew it was dangerous to be alone with him, but she was willing because of her love for him and My love for him, and her love for Mama. It was her own choice to go this far, where her life was endangered. Had she stopped and asked Me specifically whether she should see Ricky and be alone with him‚ I would have been able to stop her.
116. Yet she has pioneered the day of martyrs. In the near future, before the days of tribulation begin in full, your martyrs will be few and far between, but this is not the only one in the coming days. Angela will come to many of you. I will send her forth to help prepare your hearts, for she is one of you and will know the words to give you to help you be prepared. She will be a commander in the army of those who have given their lives for Me‚ one who leads the way, not only by being the first, but with her words of counsel and care for you, for others will be martyred in the future. She will inspire the heavenly forces with the counsel about what you need to fully prepare you for the days to come.
117. Angela would not have come to this side so quickly if she had stayed under My umbrella of protection. But she has come. She was destined to be a martyr, and she fulfilled this calling. She was also destined to be one of the earlier martyrs—although not as early as this. So she is now able to fulfill the calling that was already ordained for her, to help comfort your future martyrs with peace and joy.
118. Angela has come to a wonderful reward. I brought her home so that she didn't have to struggle any longer. I could have protected her, even in this violent situation, but we here were prepared for her Homecoming. Instead of protecting her, we graciously gathered her up as soon as she realized what was happening. Her heart's desires have been answered, and she's come to a full reward!
*
119. (Jesus:) The Enemy would have you believe that his power to influence and possess someone to do something like this is stronger than My ability to save—but this is not the case. Angela's time of greatest influence and glory on Earth was fading, and because of her great love‚ faithfulness, and loyalty over many years to your Father David and his household, it was out of love for her and in My great eternal and all-knowing wisdom that I allowed her to come home now. And so begins her time here of greater usefulness to Me, your Father David, and to the Family she loves so much.
120. She has run her race, she has completed her course, and even her death will be a witness for good. The Enemy will seek to use it toward evil, as a stumbling block and fuel for his vindictive and wicked plans against Me and the Family's great calling, but seek the higher plane of believing in My utmost control and that even this I allowed, and will use it to bring great good in the place of evil. Though the Enemy will seek to rip this victory from My hand and twist and turn it into something vile and wicked‚ I will prevail, and My full victory will be wrought from this tragedy. This was not outside My permission; this was not outside My eye or field of perfect vision and view.
121. (Mama: ) The Enemy would love to use this situation to make you fearful, to cause you to wonder if you have our Husband's full protection. The Enemy wants you to believe that his power is stronger than the Lord's, because to the carnal mind this situation could appear to be a victory for his cause, a manifestation of his power. This is not the case in the spirit, however! Although the Enemy was directly involved, and although he was influencing and working through Ricky, our Husband was the Conqueror and Overcomer in this situation. As the Lord says in one of the messages I'm going to share with you now, Satan will rue the day that he was involved with this plan, because none of the evil results he is hoping for will become realities. He hasn't gotten any winnings from this battle—and he never will.
122. So fight allowing the Enemy to make you fearful or worried, dear Family! A situation like this should not cause us to fear, but rather to go on the attack in the spirit like never before. We should be motivated more than ever to hear from the Lord about every decision we make. It should make us want to believe, follow, obey the checks we receive, and be more desperate and obedient than ever, but it should not make us fear. God's in control of everything, including the Devil. Even the Devil can't do anything except what God allows, and that will work together for good in the end.
123. (Jesus: ) The Enemy seeks to get in. He seeks to make you waver in your faith in Me. He seeks to find some avenue for doubt, some little disbelief to shake your faith and destabilize you. He knows that when you hear the news of something as traumatic as this, he can use fear to get you to cast away your confidence in Me‚ to take away your security in Me, and take away your peace of mind.
124. This you must first realize—death is no defeat; death is not the ultimate conqueror of one of My children. Yes, I know it hurts you. You feel the pain and you wonder how you'll be able to bear up when the time comes that more of your loved ones will be called to Me. But this situation doesn't somehow prove that the Enemy has more power than I do.
125. The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church. And though in the eyes of man death may look like a great defeat, yet to those who truly love and know Me, it is only a greater witness and testimony. The spirit of Angela has not been conquered. It still lives on to accomplish My will.
126. Do not doubt or allow the Enemy to buffet you. Stand your ground and claim the promises that are rightfully yours. For what is death but a glorious victory?—Your spirit finally being released to come to Me! When you die, the Devil can hold no power over you. This is where you must have My mind. You must see that and believe all that I have spoken‚ and all that your Father David has spoken about death being the ultimate victory, and how precious in My sight is the death of My saints.
127. You should go back and read some of those Letters like "Dying Grace" or "Death, the Ultimate Orgasm!" (ML #1775‚ GN Book 20; ML #2761, Vol.20). It's not that I'm trying to get you to dwell on death and the sadness of it‚ or to seek it before your time. But I want you to see that there is so much more to it than the ending of your fleshly life. There is so much more victory to be had in it. Reading My Word on the subject will once again strengthen your faith that I am in control; that your life, and the precious lives of all those you love, are in My hands. Not a hair of your head can be touched without My express permission.
128. You must refuse to listen to the lies of the Devil, for he seeks to destabilize your faith. Your faith in Me and My promises must remain strong so that when the day comes that you face death, but I ask you to preserve your life and the lives of others for the sake of My Kingdom, you have no doubt or fear, but access the key power that I have given you and have the faith to claim My promises of protection.
129. Fight back by strengthening your faith through this experience. The Devil seeks to bring about much harm and much defeat through this attack‚ and make the death of one of My precious ones seem like a major defeat—but don't give in to his puny taunts! Rebuke his taunts and scream back at him that you haven't even begun to fight!
130. Look to all the brave ones who have gone before you, the mighty warriors of the faith. They weren't strong and brave from the beginning, but they became that way by looking to Me and refusing to deny My promises, no matter what the Devil tempted them with. These heroes of the faith were men and women just like you, and they have much faith and strength that they wish to impart to you, for they know that you need it for this final hour of fighting, this war that has begun.
131. Look up and know that your redemption draweth nigh. For though you are still in the world and will not be rescued out of it before what is to come, yet you can still have the mind and heart of one who dwells in the heavenlies; you can still be so possessed by Me that none of these things will move you. Take the stand in faith that you will believe, strengthen your faith through faithfulness to My Word and obedience to Me, and then you will receive the promised anointing and courage needed for what is ahead. Not a moment sooner will it come, but exactly when you need that strong grace, anointing, and supernatural peace, you will have it.
132. (Mama: ) Regarding Angela, I thought you might be encouraged to know that the Lord said that she felt almost no pain when she died, and that He delivered her speedily. As the Lord said earlier, "Angela, who has always been one of My beloved brides, is more beautiful and happier than ever before. She did not know how quickly I would deliver her from her troubled heart. I did so in a flash‚ in an instant. She felt almost no pain, for the second the Enemy laid his hand upon her, My Spirit enveloped her and brought her quickly into My arms, to her rightful place, the one she has sought with tears. She now has her reward, and she is overjoyed, beaming, and happier than she has ever been."
133. In the video that Ricky made, he shows off his weapons and tells of his plans to torture Angela. We asked the Lord about this, as we weren't sure how quickly she went to be with Him or how much she suffered, and of course it's very disturbing to think of one of our dear loved ones having to go through something like that. The Lord gave a beautiful message that details how He kept Angela and comforted her through the whole experience, which I believe will be very encouraging for you. And after receiving this message‚ we also received confirmation that there was no evidence of torture when the police found her body. Praise the Lord!
134. (Jesus:) Angela was one of My martyrs, and as such she had My promised "dying grace" in great abundance. That's not something you can understand right now, because you're not dying and so you don't have the anointing or the grace for it. But if and when you need it‚ it will be there for you too.
135. My dying grace is what made it possible for the martyrs of old—who died what would normally be considered very painful deaths—to sing and praise Me and even smile through the whole ordeal. It's what made it possible for Stephen's face to shine even as he was being stoned to death. It's what won many to Me as people watched how the martyrs died and knew it was miraculous, that there was a power greater than death, and that I was right there with My children through it all.
136. Your darling Angela had that same peace, that same grace, that same comfort. She did not suffer. She felt almost no pain. I was right there, comforting her, holding her. She died a true martyr's death—full of My glory and My peace‚ so much so that Ricky was shocked and confounded, and it was at that point that he started to realize what he had done. What shocked him, and was completely different from the way he had imagined it, was when he saw the dying grace that Angela had, when he sensed My presence there comforting her so intensely, when he saw how her beautiful innocent spirit could not be shaken, and that there was nothing he could do to cause her harm.
137. Yes, Ricky harmed her physical body and took her life. But it was only a passing moment for Angela, because her spirit was completely unscathed. She was not harmed in the least, and suffered not at all. The greater suffering was earlier in the evening as she felt Ricky's darkness and had a premonition that all was not well. But as soon as she knew what was happening, she received My grace in great abundance‚ and from then on was secure and safe in My presence, where nothing could harm or pain her.
138. Be comforted, My loves, that My dying grace that was there for Angela will be available for you too‚ if and when you need it. There is nothing I have promised that I will not perform. Angela is one of My beloved brides, and I fulfilled My promises to her. When her hour came to leave this wicked world, when Ricky laid his hand upon her, hoping to cause suffering, she instead felt only My presence there in a way that she had never known before. Angela loved Me intimately, but there are no words to describe how I loved her in that instant. The best description would be, as your Father David once wrote, "the ultimate orgasm."
139. It's hard for you to picture, I know, in the midst of knives and Ricky's evil intentions. But as the great God of the universe, there are some things that are My privilege and My right, and the passing of one of My brides is something I watch over carefully. Especially when they leave the world as a martyr, they are given extra special care and grace. It was there for Angela, just as it will be there for you if I call you to be a martyr for Me.
140. So do not fear. Allow the Enemy no victory. For he would love to cause you to fear, so he can gloat at what he has done. But he has done nothing that I cannot and will not use for good. Angela is safe, and felt almost no pain. Instead she felt Me loving her intensely and shielding her. Ricky is also delivered from his own evil self‚ and is in a place where he can harm no more, but will instead learn to repent from every evil thought and way. There was no victory for the Evil One. None at all, My loves. O death, where is thy victory? O grave, where is thy sting?
141. (Mama:) As you can see, our Husband was right there with Angela, to deliver her. So please don't allow the Enemy to get in with fear through negative images or thoughts. Keep your mind and thoughts on the wonderful feeling of release Angela felt, as Dad told us about in "Death, the Ultimate Orgasm," and how our Husband eased her pain and delivered her quickly‚ and how happy she is now to be in the most beautiful place imaginable—where all is peace, perfection‚ love, happiness, and delight.
142. If you are hit with battles or fears regarding this, please fight back with the Word‚ prayer, praise, and the wonderful promises our Husband has given us. Here are some verses along this line that you can review, and I'm sure you can probably think of a whole lot more that give us the full assurance that Jesus was with Angela in her time of need and did not leave her comfortless.
* God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1Cor.10:13).
* God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2Tim.1:7).
* Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness (Isa.41:10).
* Yea‚ though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me (Psa.23:4).
* I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psa.34:4).
* The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to Whom be glory for ever and ever (2Tim.4:18).
* I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the Enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luk.10:19).
* I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you (Jn.14:18).
143. (Mama:) Hearing the details of Angela's death can be pretty disturbing, but the Lord gave some good counsel about how to keep from dwelling on it or letting it bother you. As the Lord said above, the Enemy would love to use it to cause fear‚ but the Lord has perfect peace to give us. Here is some counsel about going on the attack if you have been bothered by bad mental images since hearing about this situation.
144. (Jesus: ) Peace I leave with you, and My peace I will give unto you. The Enemy is trying to use bad mental pictures of this tragedy to prolong his attack and get more mileage out of it, and to instill fear and bad feelings. It is vital that you claim My keys of peace, sound mind, and heavenly visions to escape this potential trap. You must see it as part of your duty to fight for victory in this way.
145. The Enemy knows that he is going to be defeated on every side and that this tragedy will give place to triumph, so he's trying to get his foot in the door any way he can. Therefore he will even stoop so low as to attack your minds, trying to instill fear in you by feeding you ugly images concerning the physical specifics of this incident‚ the deaths, the violence, etc. I'm sure that none of you who have felt this attack like it, and you don't want it, but perhaps none of you have taken it quite as seriously as you should have.
146. You need to realize that this is not the work of your own mind, but it's the Enemy who would love to get your mind dwelling on his business, which is always ugly, gruesome‚ and awful. It is My will that you be delivered from these attacks and not have to experience them. You will find this deliverance through calling on the keys, through recognizing that this is an attack of the Enemy, and through persistent refusal to give him entrance.
147. You must resolutely decide that you're not going to be prey for the Enemy in this way. If you're someone who has battled with bad images from this situation, you must right now realize that you're being attacked and that he's trying to gain extra mileage from his dirty deeds through causing you to think about it, dwell on it, and imagine it. You can't let that happen. You have to know that when you entertain the thoughts that are violent, sad, disgusting, sickening, fear-inducing, or whatever they are to you specifically, you are giving place to the Enemy‚ which My Word commands you not to do (Eph.4:27, 6:11; 1Pet.5:8,9).
148. Of course no one wants to see these pictures; it's just that some of you feel that it's unavoidable and that they come without your desire and against your wishes. That is true—you don't want them, but the Enemy is trying to bring them anyway. What I want to remind you of is that you can prevent them. You can fend them off, and you must do this.
149. Here are some ways that you can fight when attacked with bad mental images:
150. It may not always be easy‚ and you might have to work at it a bit. The minute you start doing these things, the negative images might not instantly disappear once and for all, but I promise that if you continue to be steadfast and fight, they will come less and less often, and eventually stop completely, and you will no longer have to deal with mental images‚ scenarios, or unpleasant details.
151. But you have to do the fighting! You can't just chalk it up to your own mind, or the fact that you often get affected in those ways by these kinds of things. You have to give no place to the Devil and decide that he is not going to get any access to your mind at all. The keys are ready to assist you in this fight, as are many spirit beings of comfort, and of war—ready to help you fight, and then to soothe you and minister to you afterwards.
152. Switch off Satan's pictures by calling on the keys of heavenly visions. I will change the channel of your mind‚ and you will see Heaven.
153. The keys will deliver you from the Enemy's assault on your mind when you call on them.
154. Your mind is a strong castle, and the Enemy cannot breach your gates if you determine not to give him access, and to arm yourself with the reinforcements of My Spirit and the power of the keys.
155. The keys are your remote control that can turn off the disgusting, dirty deeds of the Devil, and instead show you the wonders of Heaven, the comfort of the spirit‚ and angelic beings of beauty and mercy.
156. Call on the keys of the Kingdom and you will be given whatever you ask for. Ask specifically for a vision of My face, and I will show you a picture of Myself in your mind that no static of the Enemy will be able to remove.
157. I have given you the keys of peace, sound mind, and heavenly visions. Against these keys Satan has no power to affect your mind or give you negative pictures.
158. When you do battle against Satan's mental attacks, the power of the keys will tip the balance of power in your favor every time.
159. The keys are ready to assist you in this fight, as are many spirit beings of comfort‚ and of war—ready to help you fight, and then to soothe you and minister to you afterwards.
160. The keys of peace, sound mind, and heavenly visions will unlock the doors of your mind to see heavenly things, and to be calm—not affected by the intrusions of the Enemy.
161. (Mama:) Another way the Enemy will try to attack is through fear of persecution. Because this situation is causing no small stir in the media and in the ranks of our apostates, the Enemy will try to make you fearful of the future—thinking that he is going to get the upper hand in this situation. But we must not be intimidated by our apostates‚ or anyone else, for that matter. The Family hasn't done anything wrong in this situation, nor have Peter and I. So if the Lord allows more persecution to come as a result of this situation‚ we have to trust that that's His will, that's His plan, and that He's going to bring good out of it. The Lord is more than able to hold back the powers of the Enemy and the powers of apostasy. But He also wants the truth to be heard. He wants us to be a witness. He wants us to be bold and brave and unafraid. He knows what's best.
162. Keep your mind positive and praiseful, dear Family. Remember that the Lord has promised that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. So if we are persecuted, so be it! Our Husband knows what we can take. Our Husband knows what's best, and He's in control. If now is His time‚ then let's face it with conviction‚ faith, and peace. And at the same time, let's keep moving forward. Let's keep getting strong as Homes and as individuals. Let's keep winning souls. Let's be offensive and not defensive. The Enemy wants persecution to slow us down, but let's use whatever the Lord allows to our advantage—to propel us forward faster than ever, to spread the truth like never before, and to make disciples of all nations! This is the year of strengthening, and in order to get strong, we have to fight battles and win them!
163. Our Husband has given us many wonderful promises to stand on, and here are a few such encouraging messages.
164. (Jesus: ) This news will divide the sheep from the goats‚ the weak from the strong. Fear not that ex-members will take it and have a heyday with it. They have no power but what is given to them, and no matter how they blow this up, the Gospel will be preached. The harm that was done to this innocent one, Angela, will speak loudly to those who will believe. Those who will not will simply blame this evil on "an evil upbringing."
165. You will never please all the people all the time. Just as in My day many reviled Me and called Me a devil, so will some call you the same and will blame you for both of these deaths. But those who are My sheep will hear the truth and their eyes will be open to it. They will see the spiritual warfare as it is, and they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.
*
166. (Jesus: ) The Word is what will be your ballast through the storms; the Word is what will help to see you through the raging tempests. The Word must be your foundation and what you stand on, no matter how daunting the battle looks, or how dark the clouds of the storm may be that surround you. My Word is the light that will pierce through the darkness, destroying and shattering the machinations of your enemies and Satan and his minions who influence those who fight against you.
167. You are entering the days that you have been trained your whole life for. You may not feel particularly prepared, and even now when you're hit with thoughts and fears, you wonder how you're going to make it when things get worse. My love, don't worry about the future, for I give you grace and faith for each day—exactly what you need to face each battle.
168. The Word is such an essential ingredient to being strengthened for the battle, because My Words are eternal. They are the promises I've given to you, My brides. My Word contains the promises of deliverance that I've said I'd perform on your behalf. My Word reminds you that though all of Hell and the Earth rise in opposition to you, you are still more powerful as you wield the power I have given you through your spiritual weapons, through My Word.
169. No power of darkness, no effort of the Evil One, no attack launched against you can overthrow you if you are fiercely wielding the weaponry of the spirit, availing yourself of My power, and finding your security and safety within Me—Your strong tower. There is nothing—absolutely nothing—that the Enemy can do to harm you without My permission.
170. Every hair on your head is counted, and when your enemies seek to harm you, I rise in fury! In their foolishness to try to harm you‚ they have jabbed their finger in My eye, and that is something I do not, and will not, take kindly to. I will rise in all My power and might and strike the evildoer down; he will rue the day he chose to stand in defiance to Me and harm you, My brides. You are well protected under My wings, My loves.
171. Don't fear what attacks may come. Times of battle, of tribulation, and of trial will wash over the world‚ and My Family will be tried‚ but you will come forth victorious. You will defy the works of your enemies; with My power in you, you will bring them to naught. My power in you will cause the plans of your enemies to be turned upon their own heads. In that hour and day they will realize the folly of their ways, for their attempts to harm you will have enraged Me, and I will put down their rebellion against Me through trying to harm you, My brides. I will squash them and bring their evil works to naught.
172. Dig deep in My Word, study the many promises that I've given of how I will hide you in your time of persecution and tribulation. I will be the victor; you will be victorious with Me. Strengthen your faith through the Word, through hearing My voice, and through actively supporting and wielding the weapons of the spirit, and I guarantee that your faith will increase.
173. (Mama:) The Lord gave some interesting counsel about the media when we were preparing this GN for you. And it's good preparation for the future, too, because we'll undoubtedly continue to have media coverage from time to time, and for the most part, we can know it won't be positive! Here's what the Lord said:
174. (Jesus: ) There's not much you can do to make the media present the truth. The media is in the business of making money. That is something you have to understand.
175. The media will do whatever serves their interests. Many are not interested in balance or fairness. They are primarily interested in selling their papers or selling their TV shows.
176. You need to choose media battles very, very carefully. Your Family spokespeople have done very well. I have given them wisdom and they have spoken the truth to the media. They have followed up. They have given a great deal of information, only to have most of it not used or twisted. But this is the way of the media.
177. You are not going to win in the media. You're never going to win in the media, because the media will, for the most part, not take your side, because you're controversial. It sells more if they don't take your side, if they push the controversy.
178. (Mama: ) Of course, every now and then there is a reporter or editor who is really interested in getting out the truth, and every now and then the Lord engineers it and makes it possible to get out the message without all the slander and sensationalism. But that's the rare exception.
179. So it's helpful to know ahead of time that we won't generally get positive coverage. We can just prepare for the regular slander, know that they said equally bad things about Jesus in His day, and praise the Lord that regardless of how they get it out, the Gospel is preached (Phil.1:16-18)! It draws attention to our message‚ it forces us to feed our contacts and friends the meat of the Word‚ it causes people to make a choice, and even though it's negative, the Lord's sheep hear His voice and follow. So don't worry about it! Don't be discouraged if the articles continue to be negative. We're in good company!
180. While there's not much we can do about the media, and persecution will come regardless of what we do, we are responsible to pray and obey the Lord and what He shows us as far as staying within the circle of His full blessing and protection.
181. I think some of you have thought that the security measures we've taken in keeping our whereabouts and the locations of our WS Homes unknown, for example, were paranoid and unnecessary. However, it's easy to see now that the Lord had a very good reason for instructing us to keep them unknown. So if the Lord gives you specific counsel or precautions to take in regard to your safety or security, it's wise to heed His counsel.
182. Of course, we don't want to go to the other extreme, because we do live dangerous lives—living for Jesus and being His representatives of love and comfort in this wicked world is not a safe profession! But He will keep and protect us miraculously if we are within His will and doing what He wants us to do. Don't forget the "God factor‚" which makes our lives and supply and protection and anointing and all that we need possible! We live by faith!
183. This is just a little reminder to stay as close as possible to our Husband, and not to neglect getting His blessing and protection on your plans and modes of operation. He knows what's wise and what's not, what's safe and what's not. And He will keep you, as you stay close to Him.
184. Shortly after the news of Ricky and Angela's death, someone in my Home asked a question about the prophecies and predictions about Ricky that can now no longer be fulfilled, obviously. This person said: "One of the first things I wondered when I heard about Ricky was how the many prophecies in the MLs could be fulfilled about him being the second Endtime witness with Mama. That was always something we SGAs looked at Ricky as the symbol of‚ probably since we were OCs. So I imagine many other SGAs will wonder about this, because this turn of events pretty much makes it impossible for him to be the Endtime witness—unless they're just spirits or he possesses someone else's body."
185. I figured that if someone who has a good connection with the Lord and is strong in the Word would have this question, maybe there are others of you who would wonder the same. It seemed pretty simple and basic to me, that it's all about choice. But the Lord reminded me that in emotionally difficult times like this, we sometimes need reminders even about these basic spiritual principles we've known for years. So He gave the following message in answer to this question.
186. (Jesus:) Nearly all of the promises I give—either for the Family or for individuals—are conditional. This is because of the majesty of choice. But many of My brides just can't seem to grasp this basic principle. When I do give promises, My brides are often quick to forget the conditions, or to neglect to fulfill the conditions. Or when things don't turn out as I said they would, instead of looking for the reasons why, or instead of searching and asking Me what conditions were not fulfilled, or what choices were made that changed My will, the blame is automatically placed on Me for having not fulfilled My Word. How this grieves Me, and even at times makes Me hesitant to give an abundance of specific promises, with conditions attached, knowing that in the end—because of the choices of man—if the outcome is different than what I had promised, then some people's faith will be hurt, because they forget the big picture.
187. It boils down to a belief in the freedom of choice. It also comes down to believing that there are usually requirements in order for My promises to be fulfilled. My promises don't work for everyone if the right steps are not taken.
188. And then there's the whole issue of majesty of choice. Men and women of flesh and blood have the power to make the wrong decisions, despite My will and My plan. And that's not to even mention the Devil, who is always trying to defeat My plans.
189. If people wonder about the prophecies regarding Ricky, and now doubt My Words because of what happened, this is an immature reaction. Yes, I had a plan for Ricky. Yes, I had a destiny for him. But I will never force My will on My children. Take the children of Israel, for example. I gave many promises regarding them that were conditional on the choices they made. Although My Word and promises were true, each one depended on the choices that My people made. Likewise, I've recently explained clearly that even My promises regarding you, the children of David, My Endtime brides, are conditional on your obedience and the choices you now make. I've warned you that if you do not take the steps I'm asking you to make, I will have to raise up others to inherit the mantle of your Father David.
190. I allow choice. I give room for each person to make their own decisions. If I did not, I would not be a God of love; I would be a dictatorial God Who forced My will on My children. This is not how I work. This is not the way life on Earth is. I am a God Who wants obedience out of love, yieldedness as a result of free choice. I desire freewill offerings, not forced servitude. Thus all of My promises are conditional‚ according to the choices of men and women.
191. It's all about choice. If you want My full protection, you choose that protection through your choices. You choose to obey and do what I ask of you, to fulfill the conditions, so that you are afforded My full protection. If you want to be in My will, you choose to keep yourself within the boundaries I have given you, even when your flesh desires to be elsewhere or your heart yearns for a change. If you want to fulfill the destiny I have for you‚ then you must make the choices that keep you walking on the right path, or else you will get lost and I will not be able to fulfill the destiny I promised would be yours. It's all about choice. You must choose your outlook on life. You must choose My will and My ways. Nobody else can make those choices for you—not even Me.
192. One of the main jobs of those of us in the spirit world is helping you to make the right choices. We realize the significance of your choices, and we realize that when you make the right choices, we are able to help and aid you greatly, but when you make the wrong choices‚ our hands are tied. We can't override your choices. Nobody can. Not the angels, not your spirit helpers‚ and not even Me. We can instruct you, encourage you, check you, help you, and prod you, but we cannot make the choices for you. You make your own choices, and then I adapt the situations and circumstances to your choices—bringing good out of every situation, which is My unconditional promise. Learning how to make decisions is what your life on Earth is all about.
193. So why were the prophecies and predictions about Ricky not fulfilled? Simply because he did not choose My way. He made wrong choices that led him away from My promised destiny for him. Because of his choices, because the conditions were not met, My hands were tied and I could not fulfill those things that I desired.
194. When My promises are not fulfilled, I am not the One Who has failed; it is man who has failed by making the wrong choices or by not fulfilling the conditions. I do not fail, but man is human and doesn't always do his part. When man fails, or makes wrong choices‚ it's simply not fair to blame Me for the outcome. In every situation I am more than willing to make good on My promises, but man's choices often make or break the deal. In this case, My promises could not be fulfilled due to Ricky's wrong choices.
195. (Mama:) Here are a few more excerpts of messages from the Lord about what's happening in the spirit world at this time. These messages include more insight into why the Lord allowed this situation, what we can gain from it, what we can expect in the future, and how we can be prepared.
196. (Jesus:) This is yet another of My signs of the times, when evil hearts shall wax worse‚ which is hard for some of you to believe. This event will help many to believe that there is a war going on and that there will be casualties if people don't keep their eyes open and their spirits open to what is happening. This will cause a mighty awakening in the Family as people see the manifestations of evil come to light. This will be a signal to those who will hear that the war has begun in earnest. You have been fighting many battles in spirit, but now you will see more manifestations of the spiritual warfare, so that you can believe and give it your all. Fight to the finish! Let not the news of casualties cause you to falter‚ but stand strong in My Spirit and I will keep you in all your ways.
*
197. (Jesus:) This event shall cause a mighty widening of the eyes of those who have fought My Family and turned to the dark side. I will cause it to shake them, even to cause their spirits to tremble, when they hear the sad consequences of anger, hatred and bitterness in Ricky's life. Some will not heed, and some will even turn to fighting My children harder than ever. But it will have affected them and given them yet another warning.
198. Ricky had many chances along the way to turn from his waywardness‚ to shut the door on the spirit of darkness that pervaded his spirit, but he would not. In yielding to the spirit of darkness, bitterness, and hatred that he partook of from those who have given themselves over to the Vandari, he was himself overtaken.
199. I will use this in many lives to show what happens when one does not resist bitterness and hatred, and how that path leads only to destruction—not the destruction of those they hate, but of themselves.
*
200. (Jesus: ) Let Me use this incident as the catalyst to forward progress. It's drastic; it's something that you would never have imagined possible. It marks the beginning of a new era. No, it's not the era of terrible things happening to you, but it is an era of greater accountability‚ which requires a greater closeness to Me in all things, in everything you do.
201. Angela is someone who touched a lot of lives, so this will touch and affect a lot of people‚ but it will be for good. For those who yield to Me, it will bear good and positive fruit in their lives. And this is what Angela has always wanted—for her life to be a testimony, to be a witness, and to do something great. Her life and her death have done this. It's tragic, it's terrible, and it hurts your heart, but My precious Angela loves Me so greatly, and My promise in Romans 8:28 will be fulfilled marvelously through this.
*
202. (Jesus:) This will be a very serious and sobering wake-up call to all. The reality of the spiritual warfare will hit home in a major way‚ and this is very needed in the days ahead in order to truly usher in the strengthening year of the Family. I have spoken in GN after GN about the importance of the spiritual weapons, and have given you heavenly forces that will fight by your side against Satan's forces. Now this stark reality will be as a very clear sound of the trumpet and will cause a widening of the eyes, and cause everyone to take the spiritual warfare much more seriously and soberly.
203. Anyone who has had doubts about the forces of evil who are fighting either them or the Family need not doubt anymore. This is My sign to the Family that all must take heed to the spiritual warfare, for this is the reality. Satan and his forces are committed to hurt or destroy the faith, or the body, of any of My children. This is all-out war, and My children must fight using My power, using the spiritual weaponry of Heaven that will rule in victory.
204. These are spiritual principles that the Family has been taught for years, and now they must heighten their spiritual awareness, being even more vigilant. They must take the offensive to launch attacks upon the Enemy and become the weapon-wielding army that is needed.
205. Be comforted, My loves. Even though this news is painful and the reality of it is harsh, remember that both of your loved ones are now better off.
206. The Family will face more persecution in the days ahead, which I have spoken of and which you have been preparing for. You are doing well to prepare. I will give you wisdom, insight‚ and great understanding each step of the way. The Family will be strengthened as a result, and the army of the Family will be the army of the Endtime that is needed.
*
207. (Jesus:) I have spoken often of the dark, stormy clouds on the horizon. I have warned you, My brides‚ of the fast approach of a storm, and you have done well to take heed to My cautions, to prepare yourself for the effects of this storm. No longer are they just storm clouds on the horizon; no longer do you hear the distant claps of thunder or see the distant flashes of lightning, for the storm has now come. The rain has begun to fall, and the wind has picked up speed. The storm is here.
208. I have warned you that storms were coming, and one is now here. You have known your days of preparation, and now you must be ready to weather the storm. I have said that in the Time of the End the hearts of men would wax worse, that men would love darkness rather than light, and this is proof of those words (2Tim.3:13; Mat.24:12; John 3:19; 1Tim.4:1).
209. You question why I allowed it to happen. Remember that I am God. I am your Husband‚ your Protector, your Shield. I have warned the Family of the spiritual battles ahead; I have spoken of the evil of the Enemy and the wicked plans that he devises against you. I have prepared you, and this is proof that I have not warned you in vain.
210. The spiritual battle is very real. I told you personally that this year you would see physical manifestations of the spiritual warfare that surrounds you, and this is one such manifestation. The Enemy's rage and fire has increased, and you will begin to see his fury more in the days to come. You did not think that it would come so suddenly; yet the dark days I have forewarned you of are already upon the world.
211. Even though this is heartbreaking news, even though it saddens you to think of the extent to which the demons of Hell drove Ricky, take comfort in knowing that I have prepared you even for this—perhaps not this exact event, but I have prepared My children for this storm‚ for the attacks of the Evil One.
212. I have said that there would be martyrs among you, those who would give their lives for Me. You have often thought of this in a vague way, putting it off to the days of Great Tribulation, but I say that those days are already upon you. The line has been drawn and a storm has come.
213. But fear not, for I have provided you with all that you need to see you through this storm. I have girded you with the weapons of the spirit. I have prepared your spirits, I have warned you, and now you see that I did not warn in vain. You have seen that I am a faithful Husband Who has given you the foresight needed to face the battles ahead.
214. There will be those of your enemies who will prey on what took place, blaming the Family—even blaming Angela for what took place. There will be those whose hearts will be further covered and clouded by the darkness of Satan, the Vandari, and the legions of Hell, and they will use this tragedy to attack the Family. Those who oppose the Family will be angry about what has taken place, because to them they will have lost one of their "star players" in their act of vengeance against the Family. Because of this, there will be renewed activity in the camp of your enemies to use this as further cause to fight the Family‚ My children.
215. I have spoken many times of how the veil between the physical and spiritual world will become less and less‚ and this is proof of that. Ricky became possessed by the darkness that he entertained these last years, the darkness that he welcomed, the lies he chose to believe.
216. Many did not take Ricky's words seriously when he said that he would kill. Many took it as hot air spoken by someone who was angry and bitter, and it will shock many to see that they were not mere words—they were the intentions of his heart. That is how far Ricky had walked away from Me, and it will stand as a warning not only to you in the Family who will now see the seriousness of the spiritual warfare and the effects it has even in the physical, but it will also be a warning to those who have chosen a path away from Me.
217. Don't let fear crowd your heart; turn your eyes toward Me‚ and remember that I am ultimately in control. Even though Angela's life was taken, it was not in vain‚ for the repercussions of this tragedy will begin the great war of the worlds, of good versus evil, of hate versus love. And through it, My power, My love, and My light within you, My children, will shine all the brighter!
218. The Enemy has already sealed his fate; he has chosen defeat in challenging Me in this way, and I will not hold back My judgments upon those who will fight Me. The Family is stronger now, and now that you all see the reality of the spiritual world‚ you will see how essential it is for you to be strengthened, to gird yourselves with My spiritual weaponry‚ and prepare to charge into Enemy territory, for war has begun!
219. (Mama:) In the previous message, the storm the Lord referred to sounded pretty big! Peter and I had not yet heard that message‚ and we were praying for the day when the Lord spoke to us and said:
220. My loves, My promise to you is that after the storm of publicity, there will be beautiful sunny days ahead for a time. I have promised that good would come from this, and, although it's hard to see it now, nevertheless, it's true. So simply go through this time in faith, knowing that I am going to work it together for good, that, rather than a great victory for the Vandari, for the Devil, and for your enemies, it will be a defeat for them, and I will not fail to bring this to pass. So you must just have faith and trust Me.
221. (Mama: ) We asked the Lord how this fit in with His message about the storm above. He answered with the following very reassuring message, which I think will be a great encouragement to you.
222. (Jesus:) These days of storm are but for a time, and then will come days of sunshine and peace. The days of the world are growing darker‚ but even in tribulation you will have days of light and happiness and increased freedom and witness.
223. All the way until the End will the storms come and go, but the storm will not be continual. I do this for your sake, and also for the sake of My lost children, because the harvest is best reaped in cycles.
224. I must allow the storms of persecution‚ for they get out My message in a unique way, as even the wrath of man is made to praise Me. Then I give you time to gather up the harvest, to strengthen those who are young in Me, to prepare, and then another storm comes. And so will it continue.
225. This storm is but for a time, and I have prepared you for it. This storm will also pass, and you will again have days of peace and sunshine and more preparation and gathering in the harvest, and then will another come.
226. By the time I return for you, you will be so thankful to have a surcease from the storms‚ as together we usher in My Kingdom on Earth‚ where for 1,000 years you will have peace and time to teach and train many who have not yet had the opportunity to know Me. These will be days of heaven for you, My loves. You will rejoice at the opportunities it affords you. So the storms will not always continue.
227. But until I return for you, My darling brides, they will come and go—giving you opportunity to prepare and bring in the harvest, and then again bringing the cleansing and watering rains, the purging winds, even the scattering far and wide of My message, which will reach places you never could have gone in person. So thank Me for the storms, prepare for them, weather them, and know that after each storm the sunshine will come again. And so will continue the cycle of harvest until I return for you on that glorious day.
228. (Mama:) I'd like to share with you a sobering message the Lord gave as I was working on compiling the prophecies on this situation for you. It's an important message about how we should view this tragedy, and any others that we may face in the future—not with fear, hopelessness‚ or doubt, but with faith and trust and fighting spirits.
229. (Jesus: ) I wish for you, My brides, to search your hearts about these recent events that have transpired. Since Christmas there have been a number of things that have tried your faith—the tsunami, other natural disasters, and now this tragedy with Ricky and Angela. But I must say that I have been saddened by some of your reactions. Think about what your reactions were to these incidents. Did you react with faith? Did you fight to maintain your trust in Me, in My love, in My all-encompassing power and control? Or did you react with fear, or with doubt, or with a questioning heart?
230. I do not mind questions‚ My brides. Every question you have, I will most certainly answer. But consider how you ask your questions. Consider how you viewed these recent tragic happenings. Consider your faith and your level of personal trust. Were you able to rise above? Were you able to take your fears and concerns to Me? Were you able to maintain a positive and praiseful attitude even in the midst of the news and horror of the situations? Were you able to lean on Me for your strength? Was your first reaction one of trust or one of doubt? Was your first reaction to state that you know I must have had a good reason for allowing these things, or was your first reaction, "Why‚ Lord?"
231. I know it's natural to ask why when bad things happen. But at the same time I expect that you, My brides, would have more faith in Me, and that you would not be so easily swayed by events, by rumors, and by situations as the world sees them. I expect that you who have so much truth, who have known Me for so long, who have been through thick and thin with Me, would have more peace, more trust, and more of My mind in such situations. I do not expect you to be perfect, but I do expect you to fight to rise above, to fight to have faith‚ to fight to put your trust in My love and believe in My control.
232. The reason you must fight for your faith is because as the world gets darker, and as things heat up, and as the End draws nearer, these kinds of tragic events will happen more and more frequently. When I spoke of the signs of the times—of wars and rumors of wars, of famines, of pestilences, of earthquakes in diverse places, and all of the other signs of the times—did you think these things would come to pass without loss of life? These things are tragedies, but they must come to pass before the End comes. That's why I instructed you to‚ "See that ye be not troubled, for all of these things must come to pass" (Mat.24:6).
233. When I said, "See that ye be not troubled," I did not mean that you should not care, that you should become hardened‚ and that you should overlook the reality of these situations. I wanted you to not be troubled or destabilized in heart, but to put your faith and trust in Me. I didn't want your hearts to be troubled. I wanted you to understand that even some of the bad things that will happen must come to pass in order for My plan to be fulfilled. The world must get worse and worse before I can make things better.
234. So, My loves, you must fight to maintain faith even in the midst of disasters and tragedies—whether they take the lives of a few or thousands. You must put your trust in Me, even when tragedies come upon you, because these are only the beginning of sorrows. More of these things must come to pass before the end of this world comes. And the only way you will get through these things, and rise above the difficulties and sadness of the world and its tragedies‚ is if you are close to Me, if you keep your faith in Me strong, if you keep the heavenly vision. You will never be able to rise above the things that are going to happen in the future if you see them through the eyes of doubt and fear. You must believe that I do all things well. You must put your trust in My power and remember that I am in control of all things, even if you don't understand.
235. Tragedies will happen in the future. Major disasters, the likes of which you have never seen before, will ensue. Wars will escalate and more blood will be shed. But do not let these things cause you to fear. Do not harden your heart toward Me as a result of these things. Do not allow situations within the world to cause you to doubt My love and My plan. Remember that I warned you many, many years ago that these are the things that would happen in the Time of the End.
236. I told you that "the love of many would wax cold" (Mat.24:12). I told you that "the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end‚ the same shall be saved" (Mk.13:12-13). I warned you that the time is coming "that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth Me service" (John 16:2). So now when you see these things coming to pass, why do you doubt? Why do you fear? What will you do when false christs and false prophets arise and do great wonders and signs‚ as I also warned you? Or what will you do when "ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake" becomes more of a reality? Will you doubt then, or trust in Me?
237. As My friends, I have warned you that all of these things must come to pass. So be not afraid. Believe in Me. Believe in My promises. Believe that everything is in My hands and under My perfect control. Believe and stand on the truth that nothing happens by accident. Take a stand of faith! Be strong and stable and steady during these times of darkness and turmoil. The events that must transpire have only just begun, and you must be My beacons of light in the midst of these tragedies. If you will not stand strong‚ who will? Only you have the Words of David, the full truth for this generation.
238. Be strong in Me and in the power of My might! Put on the full armor of My Spirit—which includes the shield of faith and the sword of the Word—so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. You wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. It's a spiritual warfare, and as such you must fight to see things in the spirit and overcome in the spirit. In a war there will be casualties, but you, My soldiers‚ must fight on!
239. (Mama:) In closing, here is an inspiring message from our Husband to remind us of why the Enemy fights us so hard. As you know, we are in a spiritual warfare, and the thing the Enemy is trying to do through this attack—and any other attack—is to destroy our work. But the reason he is trying to destroy our work is that we are winning souls. We are some of the few who are winning so many souls, and the Enemy HATES that. We have to keep our eyes on that, that that's why we're getting persecuted.
240. All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But why? Because we're going into all the world and preaching the Gospel! Because we're standing up for the Lord and trying to bring others the Lord's love and eternal life!
241. We really have to keep our eyes set on that and remember that that's why all this is happening. It's not because we made mistakes in the past, and it's not because our detractors are crazy and mad at us. Whether or not people believe it, that's the truth.
242. We are winning souls, regardless of what else people think of us or say about us. We're getting the job done. It's a job the Lord gave every Christian, and we're some of the few who are doing it. Let that encourage you and spur you on, dear Family, as you remember that that's what is making the Devil so mad! It's not you, it's not our faults or mistakes or shortcomings, which we do have plenty of. It's the Devil, mad at us because we are rescuing souls from his clutches; it makes him furious!
243. (Jesus: ) My dear Family‚ you must never lose sight of the real reasons you are persecuted and that all men speak ill of you and try to tear down your work in these Last Days. The Enemy fights you because you are excelling so highly in obeying My great commission to you. And not only does he fight you, but he cloaks the reasons that he fights you, trying to make you feel bad and condemned, hoping that if you hear often enough what bad people you supposedly are, you'll start to believe it.
244. But you must not believe a word of it! No matter what excuses people have for hating you, or what reasons they come up with for persecuting you, you must understand that in the long run, it is simply persecution for righteousness' sake, because you're doing the job that I told you to do, and the Enemy hates it.
245. When you really boil down your existence on Earth to the bare minimum, just the basics of what I hope you will do during your time here, you are to love Me, love others, and tell them about Me. Those are the big things, the basics‚ the top reasons for living, and that's what the Family excels at the most. You witness to more souls than any group your size and reach almost more people than any other organization on the face of the Earth. You don't just talk about it, you do it, day in and day out. You're winning the world, and that—above any other reason—is why you're maligned‚ persecuted, and have had such hosts of demonic warriors unleashed against you.
246. Do you think that Satan would expend such energy to try to destroy you and your testimony if you were not effective? Do you think that the hosts of Hell would so viciously rage against you if you didn't stand for truth and righteousness and were also turning many others toward that light? If you were so blind, misguided, and evil, do you think that Satan would fight you as hard as he does? No! If you were the evil people that you are made out to be, deluded and blind, then you would be left alone, and Satan wouldn't worry about you. But you're the live ones he wants to bag, the ones coming over the top of the trench, and for that reason and no other you take the heaviest fire.
247. People think they have their reasons, and their wherefores and whys you should be stopped, disbanded‚ or even jailed and killed‚ but they are simply misled by their demonic oppressors into believing a lie. The demons don't care about mistakes made in the past or supposed lacks or shortcomings. The demons of the netherworld care about one thing only, and that is stopping some of the most active Christians on the face of this Earth today—you! You're the ones doing them the greatest damage, and that makes you the number-one enemies. That's why you attract so much attention and get so many knocks.
248. You need to keep sight of that fact, so that it can encourage you. You're not suffering for your sins; you're suffering for your successes, and for My Name's sake, and for the good job that you're doing. Of course you're not perfect, but at least you're doing something. No one on Earth is perfect, no one is without sins, and certainly no organization is perfect. But how many of them are out there doing the job? Who else dedicates their lives so fully to doing the most important things in life? If they are, you can bet that they're getting fought and attacked just like you are.
249. The purer the message, the more dirt will be thrown at it. Nobody bothers attacking the meek and mild Christians who just read and teach the Bible sometimes, and send a missionary or two sometimes, or hold a revival sometimes, and raise money for a new school sometimes. Nobody in this reality or the spirit world cares about stopping them. But those of you who are doing so much more, and are thrusting in your sickles and gathering in the souls by the millions, well‚ that gets you some attention in both dimensions.
250. The cloud of heavenly witnesses rejoice and all the angels dance and sing over the fruit of the Family! And all the demons and hosts of Hell scream and pull their hair and gnash their teeth at the captives they are losing. That's why they set new traps against you that have never before been seen, or unleash some of the old standbys. Demons like Pan and Bacchus target the Family above all others, and whole new regiments of vile entities such as the Vandari have been trained and commissioned specially to target My children of David. That's how important you are. That's what a difference you're making. You're doing enough damage to the Enemy's kingdom that he's having to specifically target you, and specifically craft ways and means to attempt to bring you down.
251. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you! So persecuted they every righteous man and woman who shook the gates of Hell and caused fear and trembling among the ranks of Satan. So persecuted they every man of the mountain who stuck his head up above the valley villains and tasted the light from above the clouds and exposed those who were stuck in the mud for the flatlanders that they are. And so now they persecute you‚ My Endtime children, and malign you and say all manner of evil against you falsely.
252. But you have not denied My name or My message, and someday the world will know that you were Mine and that I ordained you to be burning and shining lights in this crooked and perverse world. Then will I raise up those whom the world cast down, and all nations will know that you suffered for My sake and for My message, and you received their stripes for your good works. That is when all the tribes of the Earth will mourn, when they see how they misused My prophets and trampled upon My message. Then those who persecuted you will receive My judgments and My rod of chastisement.
253. But until that day, bear your sufferings gladly, knowing that they are for My sake, and for your message's sake, and for the sake of the lost souls. Would you cease your work if it meant that the persecution would stop? I know that you would not. I know that each of you, My children of David, desire to continue to bring My love to the lost even if it kills all of you. But it will not kill all of you. They can never stop your reign, and I am going to prosper and bless and protect you despite all that your enemies conspire against you. I'm going to set a table for you in their presence‚ and though they will fuss and fume and bluster, you will only increase and prosper and enjoy more success than ever‚ because you are Mine, and you are doing My work, and I love you.
254. P.S. (Mama: ) As I was preparing this GN for you, the Lord gave another little reminder to continue to pray fervently for His will to be accomplished through this situation.
255. (Jesus: ) Be faithful to fight in prayer now, wielding the keys for this situation and for the aftermath. The outcome of this event and how much ground is gained by either My Family or the Enemy depends on your prayers. So pray so that I and the host of spirit helpers can be released to work the miracles and cause this event to fulfill My perfect plan.
Copyright © 2005 by The Family International
(End of File)