March 7, 2005
(ML #3534, GN 1125)
FD/MM August 2004
ML #35:10-13, DB 4
10. TO HELL WITH THE PROPER WAY! THE PROPER WAY IS OF MAN! The unexpected & the improper, the unconventional & the untraditional, the unorthodox & unceremonious, contrary to Man's natural expectation—this is the way God usually works! "For MY thoughts are NOT your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways, saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways & My thoughts than your thoughts!"—Isa.55:8,9. Who can know the mind of the Lord & who can show HIM anything?
11. WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, anyway, to tell God what to do & how to do it? God knows His business & it's none of your business how He does it!
12. SO QUIT TRYING TO TELL HIM HOW HE OUGHT TO DO IT! "Now Lord, You must do it this way or that way, so we'll be accepted & people will understand." To hell with the people who don't understand! Your friends don't NEED an explanation & your enemies would never believe it anyhow! So why explain? Just trust God that He knows what He's doing! "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart: & lean NOT unto thy OWN understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge HIM & HE shall direct thy paths."—Prov.3:5,6.
13. THE MINUTE YOU TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT IN THE FLESH‚ YOU MIGHT AS WELL QUIT, 'cause it will probably never work out that way anyhow! "Lest Israel say, 'Mine own arm hath saved me'!" God loves to do things contrary to the way we think He ought to do them! Is this a mistake? Is God wrong?
ML #57:2-13, Vol.1
2. ALL GOD'S CHILDREN OF FAITH SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN UNSEEN WORLD‚ "a City which hath Foundations," Eternal Foundations, "whose Builder and Maker is God.—Not having received the promises but having seem them afar off, confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth that seek a country—a better country—that is, an Heavenly! Wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a City," just such a place, the Heavenly City, which will come down from God out of Heaven and dwell with men. This is the hope of all ages: that now-unseen Eternal World where we shall dwell with Him forever.
3. BUT EVEN NOW, HIS INVISIBLE HEAVENLY KINGDOM IS ALREADY IN OPERATION AND EXISTENCE! It not only surrounds us, but is within us.
4. I COULD HARDLY BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THIS SPIRITUAL KINGDOM of the Now, much less the Future.
5. TO MAKE IT VERY SIMPLE PERHAPS WE COULD TAKE A VERY CHILDLIKE LITTLE SO–CALLED SCIENTIFIC APPROACH with our tiny little finite minds to attempt some comprehension of this almost incomprehensible realm—not the one of the Future, but the one in which we are now living; not in the flesh, but in the Spirit—the Fifth Dimension. As you know, science tells us that there are four dimensions comprising the existence of matter; all material objects in order to exist must have length, breadth, depth—which comprise space—and one more which is called time.
6. I HOLD IN MY HAND AN AMAZING LITTLE POSTCARD‚ a beautiful underwater scene of God's gorgeous and colorful Creation. Now the strange thing about this little postcard is that as I look at it edge-on I can really only see about two dimensions-length and breadth, and I am in the land of the Flatlander who can only understand his own little world of distance in two directions. He can't see anything else! And as I look at this card edge-on I can't see anything else either; and if I were a Flatlander I would insist that there was no other world beyond my two dimensions, just because I can't see it.
7. BUT WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE IN A NEW AND STRANGE DIRECTION UNKNOWN TO THE FLATLANDER—THE DIRECTION OF HEIGHT! We're going to go up into a new world of the Third Dimension! We're now looking down on this little postcard from above—and we find that it's a very amazing world indeed, because this little two-dimensional postcard of the Flatlanders is a very unusual postcard known as a three–dimensional postcard, which when looked at edge-on seems to have only two dimensions‚ length and breadth‚ but suddenly when looked at from above‚ from height, seems to have an altogether new dimension known as depth—and I actually seem to be able to see into the picture, … and the pebbled bottom fades away into the distance, even beyond my new three-dimensional vision!
8. SO NOW WE HAVE ENTERED A NEW WORLD, BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE POOR FLATLANDER WHO CAN ONLY SEE TWO DIRECTIONS, if he could exist at all, and we are looking in a new direction which gives height and depth and a whole new beautiful world to explore! We have become like a god to the Flatlander, a being entirely beyond his comprehension. Since we are now above his lowly plane of only two dimensions, we have passed completely out of his sight, because he can neither look up nor down, and unless we condescend to stoop to his lowly level he cannot see us at all, much less understand our new dimension. To reach his level at all we have to get on an exact plane with him, completely in tune with his two dimensions in an extremely limited area‚ for him to even be able to see us—if this were possible. But the moment we vary the slightest fraction out of his limited orbit we are truly "out of sight!" Isn't this "outta sight!" And our three-dimensional world becomes one of almost unlimited space‚ so much larger and greater than his, so vast, so deep, and so high that he could not possibly begin to understand it or us. It's simply out of his sphere, out of his depth, of which he has none, and beyond his tiny plane. A whole new world marvelous and magnificent, that he does not even know exists, simply because he cannot see it, and in which we live and have our being. And although the Flatlander cannot see us unless we stoop momentarily to his narrow plane into his very limited line of vision‚ we can nearly always see him from almost any direction—in or out of his dimension—from above, beneath‚ or on his own level!
9. BUT HIS LITTLE FLAT BRAIN HAVING NEVER SEEN ANYTHING ELSE BUT HIS OWN DIMENSION and since our dimension is completely beyond his realm of Flatland science, he doesn't understand it, knows nothing about it, has never seen it much less ever been there, and he simply brushes such nonsense all aside and says that we and our dimension just don't exist! Even if it were possible to show it to him it would be so beyond his two dimension understanding that he would probably be like the farmer the first time he saw a giraffe and say‚ "There just ain't no such thing"! Or just like my kids when they were little and we tried to get them to eat some new food: I remember Hosea saying at about the age of four or five, "But I know I don't like it‚ Daddy, because I never had any before!"... "The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit for they are foolishness unto him!" There just ain't no such thing because he never saw it before, and he knows he wouldn't like it because he never had any before!
10. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT OUR DEAR LITTLE FLATLANDER‚ IN HIS PRIDE, SINCE HE PERSONALLY CAN ONLY OPERATE ON ONE PLANE, HATES TO ADMIT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING BEYOND HIS LEVEL where he hasn't been; and in fact where he cannot go, unless he is given third-dimensional wings and time to explore it. Poor fellow! How limited his vision, how narrow his realm, how restricted his scope of operation! Since he can't go anywhere else, he just hates to admit that there is anywhere else! ... Since he never saw it, it doesn't exist! He refuses to acknowledge anything that does not exist or he cannot see on his own little plane in his two little directions.
12. AND SO IT IS WITH ALSO THE "4-D" NATURAL CUBIC MAN! He's a square-head, a block-head who refuses to believe that anything else exists such as a Fifth Dimension, a Spirit World, simply because he's never seen it or been there, and he's furious at anyone who claims they have because this really puts him down below their level, their Fifth Dimension—the Spirit World, the Heavenly, which he says doesn't exist simply because he hasn't seen it or been there.
13. THIS IS JUST AS STUPID AS IF YOU WERE TO SAY‚ "I DON'T BELIEVE THAT NEW YORK OR LONDON EXISTS BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM OR BEEN THERE!—And though you travelers in time and space claim that New York and London do exist because you say you've been out of my realm and visited these cities, seen them with your own eyes, I flatly refuse to believe you because I've never seen them or been there myself!" How ridiculous can you get? This is just as silly as the natural man who refuses to acknowledge the realm of the Spirit.
ML #3130:194-196, Lifelines 24
194. (Dad:) Faith is the key—the key to believing what the Lord has said about what He's going to do. It's the key to believing the New Wine. It's the key to believing the Word. It's the key to believing Mama and Peter, and that I speak from beyond, and that the Lord speaks through them. Faith is the key. Faith comes by hearing the Word. As you drink it in, the Lord will give you faith!
195. As you open your heart and you cry out for deliverance from carnal reasoning, from always having to figure everything out and analyze everything, if you ask the Lord to deliver you from that, He will, and He'll give you faith instead! Because you'll never be able to figure it all out. You'll never be able to make it all jibe and all be logical and fit just right. The Lord just doesn't work that way. He doesn't even allow us to‚ because He wants us to have to believe some things by faith.
196. He does things on purpose sometimes, just so that it won't be logical, so that we in our carnal minds can't understand it and can't figure it out. This is so that we'll just have to say, "Lord, I don't understand it, whatever it is. But I believe in You, and therefore I believe it!" The Lord wants us to get to that point‚ because it's our faith that pleases Him.
ML #3131‚ Lifelines 24
Seekman and the Treasures!—A parable, told by Jesus4/97DO/TS 3131
1. In the Kingdom of Love there was once a fine youth with a good heritage and heart. He was happy and content, and had many friends. He was fulfilled, as were his brothers and sisters, in carrying out the affairs of the kingdom at the bidding of the king and queen.
2. Wherever this lad would go about taking care of the business of the kingdom, he had on his arm a basket full of precious treasures, gold and jewels, which he had received from the king and queen. The king and the queen were the caretakers of the gold mine of the kingdom, and every day they would go deep into the mine, where they would spend long hours in quietness and prayer.
3. There they would commune with the great God of the Universe, the One Who ruled not only their kingdom, but all the kingdoms of the world. They would talk with Him and ask Him questions, and they would listen carefully to His answers. As they communed together in quietness and faith with the Creator, He would place Heavenly treasures in their hands, more precious than earthly gold or silver, more precious than all the gems of the world. He would load the queen and the king with so many Heavenly treasures!
4. Every day the king and queen would come out of their gold mine heavily laden with treasures, which they would distribute to the children of the realm. They explained to the children that these were very special treasures, and that if they would always carry them with them‚ value them greatly and hold them close to their hearts and minds‚ they would be a source of great wisdom, guidance and supply. They would have the answers to all their questions and would never get lost as long as they held these treasures close to their hearts.
5. These were very special gifts from the king and queen that no one else had. It was a very great privilege and honor to receive these treasures from the Creator's hand, and it gave the king and queen great joy to pass them on to their children.
6. Many youths rejoiced at receiving these treasures, and they held them close to their hearts continually, never letting them out of their sight. They didn't always understand the promises or the instruction clearly, and they didn't always see the value of the treasures immediately, as it was sometimes hidden from their eyes. Nevertheless, they guarded their treasures and didn't let one fall to the ground or get lost, because they believed the words of their king and queen—that these were gifts from the Creator, the most precious things on Earth.
7. But the Kingdom of Love had a vicious enemy, an evil sorcerer who was always lurking around‚ watching the young people, trying to find a way to trick and deceive them, seeking to rob them of their riches. He was the enemy of the precious treasures they loved!
8. This evil sorcerer would not steal away the treasures himself, because that would be too obvious and blatant an attack. It would have immediately alarmed the young people, and they would have been able to recognize that something was amiss right away. They would have then gone on an all-out attack to find their treasures and recover them.
9. Instead, the evil sorcerer would try to enter their fellowship and cleverly lie to them about the value of their treasures. He was an expert at causing them to doubt and analyze and be skeptical. He knew that if he could plant even tiny doubts, that they would grow and grow, and his job was done! Eventually he wouldn't even have to steal the treasures; the young people would just throw them away of their own accord!
10. But the really smart ones would guard their baskets and fight the sorcerer. They'd sock him and hit him and push him back and resist him and stand up to him whenever he would come around to try to convince them that their treasures were not valuable.
11. One day a young man—Seekman was his name—looked inquisitively at his basket of treasures. They were of all different shapes, colors and sizes. Some of them were very beautiful, but others seemed strange and uncomely to his eyes. Some were shiny and brilliant and gem-studded; others were plain, and still others seemed rather ugly to him.
12. As he was in an analytical frame of mind, questioning and wondering about the value of these treasures, the evil sorcerer sauntered over and said, "What do you think people are going to think of you if they see you walking around with that strange basket? Look at that gem on top—it's so different from what all the other Christians have. It's so radical, instructing you that you need to be completely apart from the System, apart from the ways of the world, that you need to be dropped out in order to be part of God's elite army. What will people think when they see that you live communally‚ that you don't go to a secular school, that you devote all your time to Godly education, that you don't listen to System music or plan to pursue what the System considers a reputable and profitable career? Don't you think people are going to look at you as being rather extreme?
13. "Do you really think it's necessary to be completely dropped out—to be that different?" the evil sorcerer queried. "Don't you think this treasure that's instructing you to be such an iconoclast and such a testimony against the System is a little extreme? What will all the kids of the world think? Aren't you worried about the opinions of man? Maybe you should just get rid of that one. I mean, you still have a lot more, and that one's not really necessary. After all, there are a lot of Christians who don't have that particular treasure or follow those particular beliefs. Yes, I know they are Scriptural, and Jesus did say 'Come out from among them and be ye separate,' but wasn't that a long time ago? Why don't you just get rid of that one?"
14. Seekman looked at the treasures in his basket and thought‚ Yeah, that's right. I don't think I like this one. After all‚ it's kind of ugly. As he pondered the lies and doubts of the evil sorcerer, he thought to himself, This doesn't look like a treasure to me. It doesn't seem to have any value or be worth anything. In fact, I think it makes my basket look too strange; it makes me look too different. What will people think? I'd better get rid of this one.
15. So he went straight to the king and queen and gave them the treasure, saying he didn't want it marring the beauty of his basket. The king and queen tried to explain to him the value of this treasure that he was returning, and repeated what the great Creator had said when He had placed it in their hands. But Seekman was not interested, he already had his mind made up. And besides, he was so rich and he had so many treasures, he didn't feel he needed this rather ugly one.
16. A while later, as he was looking at his basket again, he saw another treasure that seemed rather ugly, too. He thought to himself, Hmm‚ do I really need this one, too? It's marring the beauty of my basket like the other one did. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't know if I even like it‚ as carrying it around requires a lot of love and a lot of sacrifice. It makes me have to think about other people and their needs. So I don't know about this one. Besides, nobody else in the world does it.
17. Lurking in the shadows, the evil sorcerer again saw an opportunity to have another conversation with the young man, since his last visit had been so successful in getting him to throw away the first treasure.
18. "I don't know about this Law of Love idea of loving and caring for one another," the sorcerer sneered, "or even how your older brothers and sisters try to 'go for the gold' and enjoy the freedom of the Spirit. Come on‚ isn't that a bit much? Don't you think that's asking a lot of them—so much sacrifice‚ so much trust and faith? Look around you. You don't see other people living like that. Surely it wouldn't do you much harm to get rid of that little jewel, that little treasure. After all‚ everybody else seems to be doing fine without it. Why don't you just forget about this Law of Love which says to 'love your neighbor like yourself and lay down your life for your brethren.' It's too much work! You got rid of that other treasure‚ and it doesn't seem to have hurt you, so why not get rid of this one too?"
19. This time, the young man listened attentively to all the evil sorcerer had to say. Because he had believed him earlier, it was becoming easier to accept his reasons and logic. It made sense to his natural mind. Seekman wasn't particularly interested in doing and living the instruction of that particular treasure anyway, because going out of his way to give love to others was pretty difficult and often made him uncomfortable; it cost him so much of his own pride and selfishness. So he was susceptible and receptive to the lies of the evil sorcerer and his way, which seemed so much easier than the way of sacrifice, faith and trust.
20. So he again returned to the king and queen what to him was an uncomfortable, unnecessary jewel. And though they once again tried to explain to him the words of wisdom and love that were passed on to them from the Creator when they received the jewel, Seekman would not listen. He would not believe it, for he already had his mind made up that the jewel was ugly, useless and unnecessary, and that it marred the appearance of the basket he carried.
21. Before he had started listening to the sorcerer and returning the first jewel, he had looked at his jewels with faith and admiration‚ prayerfully asking the Creator to help him understand their full value. But now he looked at them skeptically. He would analyze them and try to find fault with them, and the more he did‚ the easier it was for the evil sorcerer to come by for another chat.
22. In the beginning, the boy had been very leery of the evil sorcerer. He knew in his heart that what the evil one was saying was wrong and dangerous. He knew he should fight it and resist it and refuse to talk to him. But instead of walking away and telling the dark figure that he didn't want to hear what he had to say, each time he'd listen to him a bit longer. Each time he'd pay a little more attention, and take his words and counsel to heart a little bit more. The more he did this, the weaker he got, and the less he was able to resist the evil sorcerer. The more he listened, the more sense the evil sorcerer's words seemed to make.
23. At first he had been able to easily recognize that what the evil sorcerer said was wrong, wicked and divisive. But the more he talked with him and listened to what he had to say, the harder it was for him to discern between right and wrong, the truth and the lie. Pretty soon he got so used to the evil sorcerer's doubts and lies that he wasn't feeling much conviction at all. His heart was becoming harder and harder, and colder and colder toward the king and the queen.
24. He finally got to the point that he couldn't even recognize when it was the sorcerer talking or when it was his own thoughts. He thought that it was just him thinking and analyzing things on his own. He didn't even realize he was entertaining doubts and lies that had been planted in his mind by the enemy of the realm. He didn't realize that the whole goal of the evil sorcerer was to get him to doubt the value of the treasures and all the information they contained. That was the sorcerer's entire purpose.
25. By and by, Seekman continued to examine his treasures and ponder the beauty of them, when he noticed yet another one. It wasn't really ugly, but it was a little strange, a little misshapen. This particular treasure smelled richly of roses, and it was warm and glowing. Each time anyone held this treasure, it left a sweet substance on their hands, like honey‚ which would make them strong if they ate it. This particular treasure contained the secrets of how to have a very close relationship with the Creator Himself.
26. The king and queen had told Seekman that this jewel was very rare and precious; that few people had ever discovered it, and that if someone received this jewel by faith, they could receive many precious promises. But this wasn't really his idea of anything very beautiful. It was odd and different, and it took a lot of faith. They had told him this treasure was of great value, and that it promised him protection and supply and guidance; but he couldn't possibly see the value of it. I don't really need this one either, he thought to himself. It's very odd, and pretty worthless if you ask me. I'll just toss it aside. And so he did.
27. He then picked up another large and complicated treasure from his basket. He had to really study it to see all of its different angles and facets. If he could receive it with faith, this treasure instructed him how he could hear from the spirit world, from the great Creator and His helpers. He had at his disposal the answers to all of his questions. But oh, it was so heavy! It was weighty and cumbersome. He said to himself, Oh‚ surely I don't need this big old heavy thing! It doesn't look so valuable. It's just taking up a lot of space and weighing me down. I don't see how it's going to bring me any wisdom or riches or guidance. I'll just toss it aside! And so he did.
28. He picked up another treasure with mirrors on its many sides. As he looked in the mirrors, he'd see his own reflection. This particular treasure was to help him see himself as he really was. It was especially designed to help him grow in his weak areas, to help him examine his own heart. But as he looked at this piece with its many mirrors and reflections, he thought, Ugh, I don't need that! I don't want that. I'm fine! Everything is fine. I don't need to have this thing exposing my weaknesses. I'm okay as I am! It's getting in the way and it's making me feel uncomfortable and I don't like it! I don't want to think about those things‚ so I'll just toss this one aside, too! And so he did.
29. Then he picked up another treasure that was a glorious, sparkling crystal lens. It was a bit heavy, but through this lens he could see way into the distant future. He saw all kinds of sights and sounds, pictures and revelations. But he thought to himself, Why do I need to bother carrying around this heavy lens? Why do I need to concern myself with these pictures of the future? What has that got to do with me? I don't need to see that far ahead. I don't need that. I'll just toss it aside! And so he did.
30. Again he looked in his basket of treasures and there was a beautiful, golden, sparkling book! He opened the book and the pages were of shimmering gold. Each time he turned the page there would be new instruction. Each page was on a different subject—one on music, one on witnessing‚ one on childcare‚ one on home care and business, and many pages on love, prayer and praise. There were many pages on unity, patience and perseverance, and on healing‚ endurance and mercy. But he grew weary with so many pages, and after a little chat with the sorcerer about it, he thought, This is such a weariness. This is such a bother. So many pages, so much instruction! I've read lots of it before. I'll just toss this one aside. And so he did.
31. By now his basket was getting much, much lighter, for he had done away with many of the treasures. Left in the bottom of his basket were various treasures of different sizes and shapes. There were many precious metals and jewels: gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, sapphires, rubies and other very rare gems that most people had never seen before.
32. But as he looked at these treasures he thought to himself, These don't look so valuable to me. I don't think they're even real gems or real gold. I think it's all just fake! I think they're just trying to trick me by getting me to carry around all this junk. They say it's so valuable and so needed and so priceless, but I got rid of those other ones and it didn't hurt me any. So I don't think I need these either. I don't believe these are going to bring me any riches or power or instruction or supply my needs. I think they're just fake, phony imitations, so I'm going to get rid of them! I'm going to toss these aside‚ too! And so he did.
33. Now Seekman had a good friend named Lytical. He and Lytical talked together a lot, and whatever Seekman did, he told Lytical about. So when Seekman had thrown away his first treasure, he told his friend about it, and explained to him the reasoning that the sorcerer had given him. Lytical, as his name implies, was very analytical. He liked to think and analyze things a lot, and what Seekman told him sounded reasonable and seemed to make sense. So he threw away his treasure too.
34. From then on, each time Seekman would throw away one of his treasures‚ he would tell Lytical about it, who, being of the same mind, would likewise throw away his treasure. He too began to look at them as rather ugly, meaningless and cumbersome, and thought that life would be so much easier without them. They so often seemed to get in the way of what he wanted to do or the way he wanted to be, and he agreed with Seekman that he was better off with a lighter load.
35. Soon Lytical was following closely in Seekman's footsteps, and they had begun discarding their treasures together, and having lengthy conversations about the treasures and their lack of usefulness or reasoning. The sorcerer would often join them for such chats, but they were unaware of his presence, as the words that he spoke seemed to them to simply be their own thoughts. Eventually, their baskets were empty.
36. Seekman started to have a sinking feeling inside of him. He wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed to be a sort of emptiness that wouldn't go away. He tried to brush it aside and keep his mind busy with entertaining activities, but he still could not shake it. So he decided to talk about it with another good friend of his named Faithful. Faithful was very devoted to his treasures, and worked hard at keeping each one polished and shiny through constant use and reference. When he saw that Seekman's basket was empty, he was deeply concerned, and told Seekman that his empty basket was no doubt the source of the empty feeling that he felt inside.
37. Seekman became more and more anxious about this sinking feeling inside, and finally took Faithful's advice to go ask his Creator what the problem was. It was then, as he humbly and desperately came before his Creator to find help‚ that Seekman's eyes were opened to what was really happening. All along he had thought that he was being smart and reasonable‚ and doing things the logical way, what seemed right to his own reasoning. But when he came before his Creator with an open heart, it was as if the scales fell from his eyes, and he was able to see that those thoughts were actually lies of the sorcerer. He could see the deception with which the evil one had entangled him and deceived him into throwing away his treasures.
38. In despair, Seekman cried out to his Creator, asking Him if there was a way back, if he could somehow undo the thoughts in his mind and regain the treasures that he had lost. He worried that all was lost, and that since his basket was now empty, he was beyond the point of no return. But the Creator lovingly and patiently spoke to him, and showed him how he could regain that which was lost by returning to where he had rejected each treasure, and again gathering it into his basket. Finally aware of his sorry state and repentant of the error of his ways, Seekman set out to gather the treasures he had discarded.
39. This was not an easy task for Seekman, and it seemed that each step he took required much faith and perseverance, and much help from his Creator. His good friend Faithful accompanied him, and tried to assist him when he could. But many steps Seekman had to take alone, and they were difficult steps indeed. The sorcerer would often come around in a desperate attempt to dissuade Seekman from going back on him, but though he was sometimes tempted to waver‚ Seekman remained resolute in his mission. This time he was determined not to be deceived by the sorcerer again. When the fiend would come by‚ Seekman would rebuke him‚ stop his ears and cry out to the Creator for assistance. Whenever he did so, the Creator supernaturally shut the mouth of the evil one.
40. Still, the treasures were not easy to gather again. The first one was especially difficult and heavy to lift. Yet, once he had done so, he began to feel a small measure of peace in his heart. The emptiness that he had felt so strongly before had now lessened. The next treasure that he came upon was also heavy‚ but a bit lighter than the first. As he spent much time studying each treasure that he took into his basket again and gazing upon it, he began to gather strength with each one, until collecting the treasures became easier and easier. Each one seemed lighter than the one before, until his basket was again full, and he carried it with ease.
41. It had been a long and sometimes difficult road, but thanks to the Creator's strength and help, and the encouragement of his good friend Faithful, that which Seekman had thrown away was restored. His joy and the happiness that had eluded him when his basket was empty were also restored to him, and he was able to once again enjoy the pleasure of the treasures along with his companions of the kingdom.
42. Eager to share the good news of his new experience, Seekman sought out his friend Lytical, with whom he had discarded his treasures. He was very sorry to have led his friend astray, and was eager to help him‚ too‚ to see the error of his way and once again gather the precious gifts he had despised.
43. But by this time Lytical was getting used to an empty basket, and had no desire for the treasures any more. He had felt the same empty feeling that Seekman had felt, but had brushed it aside and listened to the voice of the sorcerer, who advised him that if he ignored it, it would soon go away. It hadn't yet gone away completely, but he hoped that it would in time.
44. When Seekman joyfully told him the truth of the matter and pleaded with him to also begin the task of gathering his lost treasures, Lytical refused. "It's too much hard work," he responded. "Besides, I'm feeling quite comfortable with the way I am and the way I think. I don't believe what you or anyone else has to say about the treasures anymore. It's all a myth, only believed by ignorant people who believe with their hearts instead of reasoning with their minds."
45. Seekman tried in vain to convince his friend, but Lytical was too far gone and refused to change. It was a sad day for Seekman, for though he had regained his treasures‚ yet his friend Lytical seemed set against the path of repentance‚ forgiveness and restoration.
46. Finally, Lytical, with his basket of treasures empty, went to see the king and queen of the Kingdom of Love. When they saw his empty basket of treasures they said, "Son, what have you done with the treasures of the kingdom?"
47. "Oh, I don't need all that junk!" Lytical replied confidently. "It's not really necessary. It's not really valuable. It was just weighing me down and holding me back. That stuff's not true treasure and it doesn't really have any value, so I just got rid of it."
48. The king and the queen tried to explain to him again about the value of the treasures, but he would not receive it. They again told him how they had been given to them from the hand of the Creator, but he would not believe it. They pleaded with him! They wept! They implored him to reconsider and to gather the treasures into his basket again. But no‚ he would not listen‚ because he had come to the conclusion that what they had told him was a lie.
49. "I didn't see the things you said come to pass. I didn't feel any special power. I didn't see any great riches or supply of my needs. I didn't see that the treasures were leading me and giving me guidance. Besides, I got rid of one and it didn't hurt me any, so I figured if I could get rid of that one‚ then why not all of them? If one was a counterfeit, then they all must be counterfeit!"
50. The king and the queen patiently tried to reason with the young man, explaining again and again about the gold mine where they had received the treasures, and all that the Creator had told them about their value and importance. But Lytical had made his decision. He argued‚ "I have not seen the promises. I have not seen the power. I have not seen them lighten my way. I have not seen them lightening my load. I have not seen the supply of my needs."
51. So Lytical, disbelieving and full of doubt, left his empty basket at the feet of the king and queen and walked away into darkness. There was nothing the king and queen could do, for he refused to pick up his basket. He refused to gather the treasures. He refused to see their value. He refused to believe that the king and queen spoke the truth. He refused to believe in the existence of the royal gold mine and that these treasures were received from the hand of the Creator.
52. Tossing out one treasure that seemed strange and odd and useless and unneeded had seemed harmless enough to Lytical. But then he figured that if he could do without one, he could do without another, and another, and another. And if one was counterfeit and false and useless and of no value, then who was to say the others weren't as well? Where could he draw the line? He had tossed away all the riches, power and promises, and the only thing left was to doubt not only the value of the riches, but the word of the king and queen, the existence of the gold mine, and the Word of the Creator.
53. Both Lytical and Seekman thought they were making wise decisions. They thought they were being smart and thinking for themselves. They thought they were being wise to analyze, but they were wrong. They were not wise, but foolish, and their first and greatest mistake was to listen to the evil sorcerer. Though the king and queen had tried to tell them that the intent of the evil one was to get them to doubt and forsake all their riches, they weren't on guard‚ they weren't watchful. They didn't take the warning seriously enough. Instead, they thought it wouldn't hurt if they just listened to the evil sorcerer a little bit. They were curious. And besides, they wanted to be independent, and they didn't like the king and queen telling them what to do. They thought they were pretty mature and grown up now, and they could make their own decisions about what they wanted to believe or not believe. They thought they ought to give the evil sorcerer a fair shot, and at least listen to his reasoning and what he had to say.
54. But what they didn't realize was that giving the evil one any place by listening was their first great mistake. When they listened to the lies of the evil one, and didn't resist them or rebuke them‚ then the lies took hold in their hearts and minds. One lie led to another and then another; one doubt led to another, and so on. If they had rebuked the evil sorcerer and sent him away right in the beginning, instead of listening to him, they would have been much better off and much stronger. Even if they had questions about the treasures, they could have asked the king and queen or wise men of the kingdom, or they could have communicated with the Creator Himself. They could have continued to grow strong and been very fulfilled in the Kingdom of Love.
55. Instead of recognizing that the evil sorcerer was lying, they eventually thought the king and queen were lying. They became completely confused and deceived. As soon as they received the lies as truth, they began to believe the truth was a lie. Before they began listening to the evil sorcerer, they would never have even imagined telling the king and queen that they were lying. They would never have even conceived of doubting the existence of the great Creator. That was completely out of the question. But the more they entertained the doubts of the evil one, the further away from the truth they got. Eventually, they couldn't even recognize that the evil sorcerer was making them doubt the truth.
56. But what the king and queen told them was true. They had not lied. The king and queen did indeed communicate with the Creator, and what they received from Him were indeed treasures of great value that very few people had been privileged to receive. All the instruction they received and passed on to their children was the truth about how to live in love, how to win the world, how to sacrifice and care for others, how to know the Creator and be close to Him‚ how to receive His answers‚ instruction and guidance from the spirit world, how to live apart from the System, and how to spread the message of the Kingdom of Love.
57. While Seekman found his way back by calling out to the Creator for help and the truth, and was able to regain his treasures, unfortunately Lytical did not, and remained tricked by the evil sorcerer. He did not resist and rebuke him as he should have. He listened to his lies and doubts until he eventually received them and accepted them as his own. They became his own thoughts, and he didn't even know he was parroting the evil one's thoughts anymore.
58. In the end‚ Lytical was not the testimony that he could have been. He no longer had the strength and anointing and power that he could have had. He was weak and sickly and could no longer do the work or job that the Creator had intended for him to do‚ because he wasn't receiving the power, promises and benefits that had once been at his fingertips through the many jewels in his basket. He could have grown up to be a strong teacher and wonderful sample of the truth, but instead he had become contaminated and weakened by the lies and doubts of the evil one.
59. There were other youths of the kingdom, like Faithful, who faithfully guarded and tended their baskets of treasures. They spent every opportunity looking at their treasures and examining them and marveling at them. They constantly talked about their treasures with one another and showed them to each other. They were overwhelmed with their beauty—even though some of them were a little strange‚ and some were cumbersome and large and weighty and had many angles, and some reflected and exposed their own weaknesses and shortcomings, and some were heavy with much instruction‚ and some were puzzling with their insight into the future.
60. Still, these youths treasured every piece and guarded them and took care that nothing dropped to the ground. They believed the words of the king and queen, that each treasure was from the hand of the Creator, each one was the truth. They could not say that one was more true than another, that one was true and one was false, that one was of value and one was worthless, because they knew that they all came from the same source, the hand of the Creator, given to the king and queen in the deep places of the royal mine.
61. These young people knew that there were many promises attached to the treasures—promises of supply, power, anointing and understanding. Little by little‚ as time passed‚ the young people saw these promises fulfilled in their lives. Some were fulfilled sooner than others, because some promises took more patience and faith. But as they faithfully studied and guarded their jewels, more and more they started to see the promises fulfilled! Some were fulfilled immediately, and others took much, much longer. But they knew and had faith that each promise was from the hand and the mouth of the Creator, and that He could not lie.
62. They knew that the king and queen were simply passing on‚ as channels, the words and instruction and promises from the Creator. So whether they saw the promises fulfilled immediately or not, they still continued on in faith. For they had seen some of the promises come to pass, and they knew that it was just a matter of time before they saw them all come to pass!
63. With time, their baskets of treasures grew bigger and bigger and bigger! But as the baskets grew bigger‚ the young people grew stronger, so they were able to carry the baskets with relative ease. The treasures led them in pleasant paths of abundance and supply. They lay beside still waters, where they drank deeply of the cool waters and were refreshed. They went from strength to strength. They were victorious over the attacks of their enemies, and they militantly fought back when the evil sorcerer tried to deceive them into belittling and forsaking their treasures.
64. They were blessed with great love, power and unity. Their voice of testimony was heard not only throughout all the kingdom, but throughout all the world! They had anointing upon anointing, and power upon power, as they walked bravely into the Last Days, always guarding their treasures and keeping them close to their hearts.
65. With time, they proved that what the Creator said was true! At first they believed by faith‚ but with time they had evidence and proof that the king and queen were the channels, the mouthpieces‚ the prophet and prophetess passing on the very Words of God. What they said to do worked; what the Creator promised came to pass!
66. Before long, the young people found themselves in the midst of a dark‚ stormy night. It was cold and rainy and the wind was howling. It was a time of great confusion and persecution. It was the Great Tribulation. There was great darkness and noise and the sound of many waters. The earth rumbled under their feet.
67. Though there was danger on all sides, they clearly heard the voice of the Creator say‚ "Don't worry, My children, for I will protect and keep you. Though you feel weak in yourselves, I will make you leaders of My people. Many will flock to you, for they will see your strength, power and faith. They will know that your connection with Me is strong, that you know My Word and My ways, and that you hear My voice. So fear not for the evil you see and the danger which shall surround you. You have nothing to fear, for I will keep you in the hollow of My hand. Many will come to you to be enriched and strengthened, to draw from the truth of the treasures of My Word that you have loved and valued all your lives. It shall become known that you, My little ones, the children of David, are the leaders of the Endtime, the avant-garde, the officers, the commanders. You shall lead My people in times of trouble, and you shall bring them through to great victory‚ because of your great faith and your deep knowledge of Me and your intimate relationship with Me."
68. "But how shall we find our way, Lord?" said the young people. "How shall we lead Your people? How shall we have the strength and wisdom and the power and vision‚ when we ourselves are so weak and so small? How can You entrust us with such a great privilege and honor as that of being Your Endtime leaders?"
69. Then it was that the enormous baskets of treasures that they had been carrying and guarding and protecting for so long were moved by the hand of the Creator. Before their eyes the treasures lay one upon another, until they built a glorious golden halo which hung right above each of their heads. Out from this halo came golden beams of light that encircled each of them. They were surrounded by a golden glow, a protective shield that gently, brilliantly pulsated. That which they had cherished, pondered upon, marveled at, studied, loved and valued with all their hearts, the treasures that they had received from the king and queen, became the foundation, the building blocks, the material from which their supernatural anointing for the Endtime was built.
70. Because they had believed and received by faith the Words of God found in these treasures‚ because they had been faithful and diligent; because they had been loyal and obedient to the message of the Kingdom of Love, they had proved themselves worthy to receive the mighty anointing from the hand of the Creator. It was set above their heads in the form of a golden halo, and enveloped them as a golden hue representing His supernatural protection, strength, wisdom and power.
71. It was their years of faithfulness to the kingdom and the truth that prepared them for this final challenge. It was during their years of study, when they strengthened their faith and learned to know the Creator intimately, that they were tried and tested and prepared for their special place of honor. It was their years of dedication, of loving the Creator, the king and queen, each other‚ and loving the treasures, that brought them together in such unity that their testimony went throughout all the Earth. Those of many faiths came to sit at their feet, to be fed and to have their wounds tended.
72. These young people became the leaders, shepherds and prophets of the end, because they refused to listen to the lies of the evil sorcerer. They fought him and rebuked him. They kept their eyes on their loving Creator. They kept the basket of treasures, the Words from their queen and king, close to their hearts constantly.
73. All their years of faithful study and accepting the Word by faith, of putting it into practice the best they could, and helping others to do the same, paid off in the end. It was the days and years of preparation that provided these young people with the training they needed for the awesome role that they would fill in the Endtime. The more they cherished the Words of life, the more they believed and received these riches, the stronger they became‚ until they were a mighty army going forth to conquer. They were majestic and beautiful, and they were proud to be children of the Kingdom of Love.
74. Will you be as the wise young people—or as Lytical‚ the foolish young man? Will you be as those who wisely guard and love the treasures? Or will you be as those who foolishly doubt‚ reject and discard them piece by piece, point by point‚ until you doubt the channels, the existence of the gold mine, and the Word of the Creator Himself? The choice is yours! One road leads to the way of victory and triumph, and the other road leads to the way of obscurity and darkness. The choice is yours.
ML #3322:64-99, GN 925
64. Why does it sometimes seem so much easier to believe or place stock in a news article, magazine or book than a message from Jesus or something in the Letters?
65. (Jesus: ) Often you'll read a message from Me, or a lesson or instruction in the words of David or Maria, and then read an article from someone in the System on that same topic—that's either published along with it, or that you come across elsewhere—and the latter impresses you more than the former. I'll help explain why this is and show you where the balance lies.
66. The reason that I lead you to articles written by those from outside that confirm what I've said is for the express purpose of providing a confirmation. It shows that someone else has discovered, through scientific or psychological or some other form of research, the same principles which I've shown you. Or sometimes someone in the Family‚ writing in their own words, will express the same principle that's been explained in a GN or prophecy, and it accomplishes the same purpose. It shows you that, "Wow, this person did that, and it worked!"
67. The ideal, of course, would be for you to have more implicit faith in My Word of prophecy, as My queen does; for you to take what I give—My instruction, admonition and guidance—and without hesitation believe that it's right, that it works, that it's truth.
68. It's not that most of you doubt the messages that I give. You've simply heard some of My messages and basic truths expressed so many times by David and Maria that you've lost the sense of how marvelous My ways are, and of how much truth you have. So when you see something similar presented in a slightly different light, from a different angle, then, even if it's only a portion of truth, a fraction of what you already know through My Word, it stirs you.
69. For those of you who have faith in My Word but still find yourself drawn to or very impressed with the words of man‚ I'll explain why this is: Sometimes you mistakenly think that the reason this stood out to you more was because it was explained better, because it was written by someone more educated than the channel who received a message from Me. The truth is, though, that because you're My children, My sheep, you're very spiritual and very deep. When you see that someone else has discovered something similar to what I've said and stated, you rejoice within the deep chambers of your heart, because it's proof of the faith you already have.
70. Others of you‚ unfortunately, lack the faith that you should have in My Word. You see it as something beautiful, poetic, or a nice ideal, but not as something practical. You haven't exercised your gift of prophecy enough to realize that it's a very practical, useful, everyday tool and supernatural and powerful weapon. Its power and brilliance has faded in your eyes because you haven't kept it polished and bright. Therefore some of you hold on to the truths you read in articles or books or publications by others outside My Family, who speak in their own words, and value them more highly than My pure Words.
71. This is because you're seeing these matters through earthly eyes, with your physical senses, and your spiritual eyes and senses have not been fully developed. These words of man, which I intend merely as a confirmation, then become the building blocks of your faith and belief, your ideology, your theology. You put too much emphasis on these things, forgetting that I am the One Who inspired those who spoke great words.
72. Yes, there have been and still are many anointed speakers, gifted writers, and sincere seekers‚ who have hit upon certain spiritual and practical truths that can be useful to you. But you must also realize that I am the source of all truth, of all knowledge, of all wisdom. All these things spring from Me and from My Heavenly Kingdom, and I am the one who gives knowledge and insight to man. I have given you great truth, knowledge and wisdom in My Word and in the words of David and Maria‚ as well as through My living Word of prophecy, through which you have access to Heavenly answers.
73. The writings of worldly men are as supplements‚ confirmations, or simply practical knowledge from the wise and educated to fill a need. Like your Father David would say, "Use it!" If you have a broken bone, get it set by a trained doctor. If you need some information about certain equipment or a certain part of the world where you're considering going‚ by all means look it up and avail yourself of the information that has been provided by those who have already researched it.
74. But when it comes to matters of the spirit—questions of doctrine, the mysterious or mystical, the revelatory, the prophetic, the Biblical, even the emotional and the psychological, you must beware of listening to or placing too much emphasis on the words of man. Even if they speak truth, the danger in drinking in too much is that then you begin to feel that you don't need Me or My Word. You begin to think, "There are others who have truth, who have wisdom, and theirs sometimes seems even more relatable and practical than the Lord's voice in prophecy." You begin to turn your heart and ears away from Me, and thus you start walking down a dangerous path, one that leads you far astray from the center of My will and My blessings.
75. The even greater danger is that when you begin looking more to System sources for your input, you'll come across those who give counsel that is either completely ungodly or not well balanced. Sometimes even the writer who has expressed a certain spiritual principle or worthwhile and useful tidbit very well, and who was inspired by Me in that instance, will write on another topic and express viewpoints that are not according to Mine, but that are filled with carnal reasoning and unsound judgment.
76. These who write and speak of topics of which they seem to know so much, really don't know anything more than what I choose to reveal to them. They're not complete or well rounded, nor are they always right on. Therefore it's very risky to place too much emphasis or put too much of your faith in any worldly man's writing‚ or even the writing of a Christian who is not as fully dedicated and yielded to Me as My Queen Maria and King Peter.
77. You can trust their channels and the words I give you through them, for they've been tried and proven by Me—their hearts, their lives‚ their spirits, their dedication, their love. They live and breathe for nothing else but to share My love and My Words with you and with the lost. They've made great personal sacrifices in order to give you My pure Words. Therefore you can be assured that they have no ulterior motives, no personal agenda, no little trips or tangents, and that they will not lead you astray.
78. It's not wrong to appreciate the confirmations or additions given to My Word through the writings of other Christians or even of worldly men, depending on the topic. But this input must be in moderation, and it must be taken as a supplement to My Words rather than a foundation to build your beliefs upon. For no foundation can any man lay except that which is already laid—on Me, the Cornerstone, the Rock of Ages. I possess all knowledge and all mysteries. I can reveal all things to you. There's nothing I don't know, nothing I can't fill you in on‚ educate you about, and even confirm in your own life‚ if you have the faith.
79. The words of man have little truth in comparison to the truth I have given you. And when you do find truth and understanding among their words, it should not cause you to compare and to think of My Words as less needful. Instead, in comparing you should realize how blessed you are! These others have received insight from Me on this or that topic, but generally the reason they have so many details and so much knowledge about that one topic is because that's the only topic that they've seriously researched or put to the test, or the only topic I've revealed something to them about. Whereas you in the Family benefit from a wide variety of counsel and input on an endless number of topics. I often start off with the shorter versions, so that you can get a well-rounded diet and a balanced picture. Yet‚ if there's anything you seek to know more about or understand further, all you must do is ask. The answers are there for you. (End of message from Jesus)
80. (Mama: ) There's a general trend in the world today toward "open–mindedness," with a multitude of opinions and a large quantity of information floating around—often facts mixed together with theories. Through movies, TV, the news media, the Internet, and even in your witnessing and ministering, this abundant input from all kinds of worldly sources seems to surround you sometimes. With so many available options, how do we know that the Word is the right opinion?
81. (Dad:) The Word is what I built this Family on. The Word of the Lord is what brought this whole revolution together! I was nothing. I didn't think I had what it took to be a great leader, teacher or prophet, and I didn't—I just followed the Lord! I gave His Word, come what may, and that was the foundation of this Family. And the foundation of the Family hasn't changed.
82. Our Family was built on the firm rock of the Word. We weren't built on the sand; otherwise when the winds and storms came, we would have fallen flat on our faces. This Family was built on the pure solid rock of the Word of God, and that's the only reason why we've made it thus far, why we've survived so many revolutions, so many persecutions, so many changes‚ so many time periods, fads and trends.
83. The Family is like a house that was built on the good foundation of the Word. Over the years we've replaced different things in the makeup of the house. We've changed procedures, we've changed the way we did things—like changing the windows, giving the house a new paint job, replacing tiles on the roof, or putting in new carpet. We've changed and moved with the Spirit of God, but we've never taken away the foundation of the Word, because that's what really keeps the whole house of the Family together.
84. The Word is the only sure factor in the world today. This Family is not based on anything else save the Word of God. I always preached that and lived that, and now Mama and Peter are preaching that and living it more than ever before. They're pumping out more Word than ever before‚ getting out the millions for the billions—Letters and wonderful counsel from Heaven about every topic under the sun.
85. How on earth can some of you think that you can do without the Word? Maybe you think that you know better or that you've become intelligent and smart by increasing your knowledge through avenues of the Enemy—worldly books, movies, TV, the Internet, etc. Some of you have let yourself become deluded into thinking that your opinion, or the opinion of some worldly author or celebrity, is just as good as the Lord's opinion and Word, or the words that He gave me and Mama. Let me tell you, opinions are one thing but the Word is another! Maybe it's because you haven't been around long enough to know that everything can change—the Family can change, the whole world can change—but the only thing that's going to last forever is the Word!
86. If you don't respect the Word, you'd better watch out! You're poking your finger directly in God's eye, and He won't stand for it. You're not just personally offending Mama and Peter when you doubt the Word or count it as simply another opinion and store it away in your memory banks and information files, but you're offending God! He's not going to stand for your indifference for very long. He'll stop talking to you if you won't listen.
87. His Word is not like a newspaper where you can pick and choose and decide to believe what you want and then throw the rest in the trash can! How can you hold the knowledge that you receive from books, movies, System magazines, Internet pages and other information sources of the System in higher regard than the Word of the Lord? Don't you think that's a pretty dangerous position to be in? Don't you see that this is a deadly attack of the Enemy on your soul? He's planting his evil seeds of indifference, "open-mindedness‚" and a wishy-washy‚ string-for-a-backbone type of lukewarm conviction.
88. Are you like a jellyfish that's going to get beat around by the waves and go with the flow, wherever the currents of this world lead you? Are you going to be as flabby and see-through as a jellyfish, with no real substance or purpose in life? Are you being duped by the knowledge of this world‚ and is it alienating you from the life–giving Words of the Lord? Or are you aboard our ship that is firmly anchored with the Word and will not be moved‚ even though the waves will no doubt beat upon it?
89. I'll tell you‚ if you're not fully on board the ship that is anchored with the Word, you'll not last long out there in the open sea of knowledge. There are sharks and other predators out there! You'll soon find yourself starving for lack of nourishment. Without the life, light, warmth and spirit of the Word, you'll soon start to slowly die and lose your usefulness to the Lord.
90. Folks, the Word is not just another opinion in the polls! You can't just take the Word and pick and choose what you believe and what you don't believe. The Lord gives us well-balanced meals, and if you're picking and choosing what you want to eat—throwing some away and supplementing it with junk food—you'll soon find that your hankering for junk food will grow and grow until you no longer desire the pure, fresh Word of God.
91. There are a lot of theories in the world today and a lot of information‚ but not all of it is true or good. The Enemy has designed this "information overload" to confuse people as to what's right and wrong, good or bad‚ truth or deception. Since the boundaries are no longer so clear to them, they become willing to take in a little bit of almost everything. One of his biggest devices is to cause people to become so open-minded that they begin to believe that there are no absolutes, no right or wrong. As rampant as this "anything goes" attitude is in the world today, it's no wonder it's also creeping into the ranks of our Family. But you should sit up and take notice and become aware of the Enemy's devices!
92. I'm not meaning to declare that you can never read other informative books or receive added information from other sources besides the Word. The danger comes when you start replacing the Word with worldly knowledge and turning to its wisdom and solutions, esteeming it above the Word.
93. Everything you read and everything you hear should be balanced and judged by the Word. You can research the Letters‚ or if there's nothing in the Word already about it‚ you can hear directly from Heaven. There's a lot of information in the world today, and that's the danger. It all looks so good and is presented so well, it's very enticing and appealing to the eyes, but some of it is just plain wrong or misleading, especially when it leads you away from the Lord and His Word. You have to be more aware than ever that the Enemy is out to destroy your faith in the Word.
94. If you're one of the ones who's been duped by the System's knowledge and has given it a higher place than the Lord's Word, then I'd strongly suggest that you have a fast from all System input for a while until you get fully rewired and plugged into the Source once again. Otherwise, if you're not honest with yourself and if you don't take this stand to keep your feet firmly fixed upon the only absolute in the world today, you're going to find yourself getting weaker and weaker‚ to the point where you won't even be able to tell right from wrong anymore. That's what's happened to millions of people all over the globe. They don't even know what's right and wrong‚ truth or fiction, real or unreal‚ good or evil—they're brainwashed by the System's indifference and lack of discernment and spiritual principles.
95. If you catch yourself looking to the word of the System above the Word of the Lord, you'd better sit up quick and pray desperately for the Lord to help you see things as He sees them. When you receive so much worldly input on a regular basis, your eyes can become blinded to the evidence of the spirit world and the beauties and answers that come from the halls of Heaven. You'll become alienated from the life of God if you don't watch out‚ because these other avenues of information slowly creep in and take the place of God's Word in your heart. It's never something that happens overnight; it's a gradual process, and if you don't put a stop to it, it will destroy your usefulness to the Lord.
96. Like I said, the foundation of this Family—and the foundation of any Christian, for that matter—should be the Word. If you don't hold on to the Word for dear life, you're going to find yourself slipping into the oblivion of little or no usefulness to the Lord. He wants to use you, each and every one of you, but He can only do so if you keep your mind stayed on Him and His Word, rather than forming your thoughts, conclusions, and philosophies based on the world's mass of information confusion.
97. If you want your tree to continue bearing fruit, then you'd better remain planted by the rivers of His water, rather than letting parts of your roots drink from the sewers of the System. You can test the waters here and there to see if they're good, but your measuring stick should always be the Word, the Word, the Word!
98. Okay, have I hammered this nail in long enough? Have I driven the point home? I think I've said all that needs to be said‚ but it's up to you what you do with this counsel and warning. You know your heart and you know whether you're drawing your conclusions from the Word or from other System ideologies. So I'm trusting that you'll all be honest with yourselves and make sure you're drinking in the pure waters; not the pollutants of Satan, or even that which may seem and taste good and pure, but is filled with chemicals that will eat you away from the inside out.
99. The Word is not just a source of information; it's the only thing that will keep you alive and filled with the truth of the Spirit! The Word is not just somebody's views or opinion; it's the truth of God, and to survive spiritually you'd better read it and live it! (End of message from Dad)
ML #3374:27-31, GN 971
27. (Jesus:) Today, you, My chosen of the Endtime, have volumes of My written Word, both new and old, and you have My voice at your beck and call through prophecy. If you are to avail yourselves of greater use of the keys, you must focus only on this. You must act on this power and be instant followers and doers of the Words I have spoken. And by this I don't mean in part, but all the way. If you want all the power, you must go all the way.
28. Ask yourselves what happens when a person is fully focused on something. When you are fully focused—whether on a work project, an ideal, a goal, or a love relationship—that thing tends to consume all your time, all your energy, all your resources, all your passion. The bottom line is that the thing you're fully focused on tends to dictate your life. This is what you must now do regarding the keys I have put in your hands. You must be so focused on the power of the keys and the Words I give you that they dictate your life. You must focus on the power to the point that the power is dominant in your lives.
29. Focusing on the power is letting My Words and the power you have in the keys dictate your life. It's letting the keys and the things I instruct you to do have supreme rule in your life. As My Father's Word to Me had to dictate My every action‚ so My Word to you must dictate all your actions. Focusing on the power is ignoring all possibilities other than what the keys and My Word can do for you. Focusing on the power is refusing any alternatives other than using the keys and standing on My Word.
30. I had to look to My Father's Word rather than the circumstances I found Myself in. I had to look to the keys alone and claim their power‚ ignoring all else, and this is what you must also do. The power rules! The keys rule! The Word rules! You must believe it, stand on it, live by it!
31. My Word is alive, it's action, it's powerful! It's sharper than any two-edged sword. It can divide the soul and spirit, and discern the thoughts and intents of every heart. My Word is live power!
ML #3376:5-8, 21-52, GN 973
5. (Jesus speaking: ) When I put the keys to the Kingdom into your hands, My brides‚ I said I desired to possess you. I love to possess you! As a man loves a woman and desires to fill her with his seeds, so I desire to have you—fully and completely! I want you to be Mine!
6. And in those moments when I bade you, "Come, allow Me to fully possess you‚" many of you opened up, you took Me in‚ you received My Spirit in full. Without reservation, many received Me fully and completely in that moment. And many of you continue to have your moments of allowing Me to possess you. You're making progress, My loves, taking time with Me, coming into our intimate chambers. You open yourselves wide to receive Me, to allow Me these exhilarating moments when our spirits become one!
7. Now, I must speak to you of something more, of a greater possession, and of what this means. I want to give you another gift, and I am introducing this marvelous blessing during these special days of celebration. I will activate this gift soon, but first there are important conditions that you need to understand and accept. If you are to be the miracle workers that I have spoken of, you will need this gift, but you must make the first move if you are to receive it. The way you do this is by allowing Me to possess you.
8. I need to take full possession of you—not in scattered moments here and there, but I want to possess you fully and completely all the time. I want and need to have full control in your lives—full possession. This is what is necessary for you to be able to open up and use the new gift I will put in your hands—you must let Me possess you. I want to give you this gift, yet for you to be able to open it and put it to use, I must possess you.
21. My loves, it is because of your own volition that I have not yet been able to activate the gift that I put in your hands. I wish to explain this now so that you can get ready to receive. Listen carefully‚ and prepare to put this awesome gift to use. Prepare, and when you meet the requirements‚ the gift will be at your command. Let Me explain.
22. Take a moment and look at the world. The children of this generation are more often than not more yielded, more easily maneuvered, more easily directed to carry out the will of their lord than My Own are. Why? The people of this world are more fully possessed with the spirit and the doctrine of their father, the Devil. The god of this world often has tighter control over the children of the world than I have over My Own children. How does he maintain such tight control? How does he lure them into his fold in the first place, and how does he keep them there?
23. You know the answers to these questions, and they are many—as many as the enticements of this world. The lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the deceitfulness of riches, the wisdom of this world and the knowledge of man, carnal thinking—all these provide strong pulls that, except for the intervention of My Spirit and My power, are impossible to resist.
24. There is a common thread, a common denominator‚ a key factor as to how Satan acquires and maintains control of his own. The seat of his control is through the mind. Through the mind he gets control; through the mind he maintains control; through the mind he manipulates the masses.
25. This is why I have instructed My children down through the ages to pay close attention to the mind. For just as this is the control center that Satan uses to manipulate his own‚ so it is the battlefield on which he wages his ruthless attacks against you, My children.
26. The fact that Satan wages militant warfare in the minds of My Own does not come as a surprise to you. This is not news, yet there's more to it I wish to speak to you about. This information I give you now is imperative for you to be aware of, to act upon, to make any necessary changes in your lives, if you are going to be able to use this new gift. My children, you must prepare.
27. It is through the mind that Satan gains entrance to recruit the lost of the world to his side; it is through the mind that he controls and manipulates his own; and it is through the mind that he wages fierce attacks on you, My children. In addition‚ it is through the mind that he seeks to hinder you by preventing you from allowing Me full possession in the first place by trying to share the occupancy of your thoughts.
28. The mind is the great battlefield where ruthless war is waged—the war for possession! The sins that bring you down all filter through the mind: pride‚ the root sin of all; jealousy; lust; selfishness; lethargy; bitterness; disunity; comparing; discontent and murmuring; negative thinking; worldliness; disobedience; doubt; putting other gods before Me; self-righteousness, etc. It all begins in the mind, takes root in the mind, and festers in the mind—all through carnal thinking‚ through putting on the mind of man and the mind of the world.
29. I have said many things to you regarding the mind—about your thoughts, about your own will‚ about the carnal mind, and about the need to put on My mind. This is because if I am to have full control of you, you must give Me your mind.
30. The port of entry to possession is through the mind, My loves. This is true for both Me and for the Enemy. Satan controls his own through the mind, and so do I. This is why the Apostle said, "Put on the mind of Christ." This is why you are instructed to think good thoughts, to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, to keep your mind stayed on Me, for therein lies perfect peace.
31. Yes, I do control you through My Spirit, and when our spirits meet, when you take Me in and allow Me to possess you, anything is possible. And this is yet a great mystery to you—the relation between heart, mind, spirit and soul. It isn't necessary to ponder deeply on how these integrate and intertwine at this moment, but only know that they do, and that it is through the spirit of your mind that you open the door for Me to possess you‚ for therein do you choose, willingly and of your own volition, to accept Me, to call My Spirit to come possess you.
32. The outcome of all battles is determined first in your mind‚ for this is where your will is set. This is where you choose Me and My ways, where you choose to accept My Words and put on My mind. I have said that he that believes on Me will have eternal life. Belief, faith, trust, confidence, and acceptance all begin in the mind. If you are of a ready and willing mind, all that I have is yours for the asking.
33. Why do I speak to you of this now? Because, My loves, in order to use the new gift I will put in your hands, you must give Me your mind—fully, completely, without reservation. You must allow Me full possession, that I might live, work, think‚ and act through you fully‚ as I desire.
34. Many of you have sought to do this, and I do work through you to varying degrees. You pray and ask Me to cleanse your mind, to clear your mind, to ease your mind, to direct your thoughts, and I do. Yet you must give Me more. You must give Me all.
35. If you are going to use the full power I have given you, I cannot share your thoughts with the carnal mind. I cannot perform mighty works through you in coexistence with the mind of man—for this hinders, it sets back, it stifles My Spirit from fully and completely performing great feats through you. It prevents you from activating the full capacity of spiritual powers that are at your disposal.
36. If you are going to work greater miracles‚ if you are going to fulfill your destiny, you must be Mine. You must be wholly, totally, completely possessed by Me, and in order to do this‚ you must put on My mind. You must more fully think My thoughts. You must allow the spirit of My mind to become one with the spirit of your mind. Your brain must be My brain. You must put on the totality of the mind of God.
37. How do you do this‚ you ask? To put on My mind‚ you must put off the mind of man, the mind of the world, the thoughts of Satan, the propaganda of Satan, the knowledge of the world, the wisdom of the world, the mind of vanity, the mind of flesh. You must put off a reprobate mind, a doubtful mind. Put off the carnal.
38. The carnal mind is enmity against Me—this is the crux of the matter. The carnal mind is the opponent of My Spirit, for it is not subject to My Law of Love, nor is it subject to the miracle-working power of My Spirit. Therefore, if you are going to be miracle workers, if you are going to call on the power of the keys and access them to the full, you must put off the carnal mind.
39. Throughout My Word I have chided My children to put on the mind of God, to be renewed in your mind, to mind not the things of the Earth, to set your minds on Heaven, to gird up the loins of your mind. That means putting up barricades to shield yourselves from the carnal. It means rejecting the wisdom of the world and not allowing this wisdom to enter and take root. It's rejecting worldly knowledge and ways‚ rejecting the enticements of that which is carnal. To gird up the loins of your minds means to prepare, My children. In this case‚ prepare your minds for action! Prepare to let My mind move freely in you. Prepare to be My miracle workers of the End. Prepare to do exploits, to do greater things than all the prophets or I did while on Earth. Prepare by putting on the mind of Christ, by allowing Me to fully possess you.
40. So deep is this subject, and I see you ponder: "This sounds nice in theory, but how do I put this into practice when I, being in the world, am surrounded by the things of the world?"
41. You do this by first calling on the power of the keys, and through the power of the keys, being doers of My Word—rejecting that which is carnal. The keys rule! My power rules! I am able to help you reject the carnal-mindedness of man and to put on My mind, but you must do your part. You must take action to clear your mind of all that is not of Me, of that which is carnal, that which is earthly.
42. If each of you will stop right now and carefully review what you spend your time doing, I will show you the areas where you need to improve. I will show you the areas in your life that need adjusting if you are going to fully put on My mind.
43. I want to fully possess you—but you must be of a ready mind, a willing mind. This is the step you must take if you are to use this new gift I place in your hands. You must desire the things of the spirit over the things of the flesh. You must put off the mind of man and put on the mind of God.
44. Many of you hold on to carnal-mindedness in some areas of your lives. These are hindrances that prevent Me from possessing you as I need to if you are going to hone the gift I wish to give you.
45. What you spend your time doing tells the tale. How much do you delve into the knowledge of the world over the knowledge of God—through movies, books, magazines, music, the Internet‚ the news media, through study of worldly knowledge and man's wisdom‚ through listening to the philosophies of men of the world that are not in accordance with My Word?
46. I am not asking you to put away all forms of recreation that involve the world, or always forgo or shun movies, books, magazines, the Internet, etc. But what you need to ask yourself, and ask Me above all, is how much these things influence your thoughts. How much time do you spend relaxing with those things, and how much time do you spend relaxing with Me? Do you take time in My Word to cleanse yourself after partaking of the things of the world, even when it's for simple relaxation? There probably is no more important time to seek to be cleansed than after delving into the world for relaxation and entertainment, because if you're on the job and doing research, you're more likely to be on guard and prayerful, and thus the Enemy cannot come in as much. But when you're relaxing, this is a time when the Enemy can often get in wholesale with his ideas and thought patterns and mindsets, because you're "just relaxing," so you take it all in without filtering it or measuring it against the yardstick of My Word, and without taking time to be cleansed afterwards through prayer‚ communion with Me, and even seeking Me about specifics that stick in your mind from those things.
47. There are also times when it's necessary for the sake of the work, and I give you the go-ahead to immerse yourselves in some of these things, when it's necessary to pass through the waters of worldly wisdom and knowledge. But I want you to ask yourselves, what care do you take to filter this input through the sieve of My Words during those times‚ both written and My Word in prophecy for you personally? Do you delve into the knowledge of the world and the ways of the world without following through with the cleansing process of My Spirit afterwards? Do you delve into worldly wisdom without proper inoculation and detoxification? Do you delve into worldly knowledge and let it linger? Or do you shun that which is carnal and put on My mind? Do you ask Me what I think about the conclusions you come to after talking with people of the world or reading their material? When you look something up on the Internet, do you stop to ask Me what I think of it, or if I agree with their conclusions, or if their information is even accurate by My standards and the way I know things to truly be? These are habits you must build if you are to be able to receive this gift I want to give you.
48. Or is your reaction when you read a GN or message from Me to weigh it against other so-called "facts" that you've learned from worldly sources, to see if My Words really "hold water" or are accurate? Do you judge the worldly knowledge or information or thoughts that you take in against My Words, or do you judge My Words against your own thoughts and other sources of information? If other sources of information are your yardstick‚ you need some serious adjustment in your mindset if you are to take on My mind and be ready to receive this gift I am waiting to give you.
49. What care do you take to filter carnal thoughts and wisdom through My Spirit, without fail? You must filter what contact you have with the world through Me, without fail‚ if you are to stay pure and undefiled, ready and able to be conductors of My full power. I have spoken to you of this need to filter all things through My Words and Spirit; now it must be put into continual practice.
50. In order for Me to have full possession, you must not only give Me your mind, but you must clear your mind and thoughts of all that is not of Me, of all that is worldly or carnal. You must be willing to relinquish those ideologies you hold so dear if they don't match up with what My Word says. You must be willing to believe Me above all, even when all your research and everything the world says seems to contradict it. These are sacrifices you must be willing to make if you are to truly put on My mind. When I gave you the greatest commandment, I said you are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This means you are to give all your mind to Me. Giving Me all your mind means you are not to give place to carnal-mindedness through retaining worldly wisdom and letting it become part of you.
51. The natural mind of man does not receive the things of My Spirit. Those who would be vessels of My great and awesome miracle-working power must retain My knowledge in all their thoughts. Worldly knowledge and carnal-mindedness surround you, it is true; you cannot escape being aware of it. However, there is a definite difference between awareness and allowing it to become part of you.
52. I have put you in the world, My loves, yet you are not to be of the world. To activate the new gift I will give you, you must come out of the world, be separate in all your ways, and touch not the unclean thing—that is, in your mind, in your thoughts, in your spirit. You can be in the world‚ but not of the world‚ only by putting on My mind. You may need to be aware of the worldly wisdom, yet you are not to let it become part of you, nor let it use you and guide you.
ML #3472:25-32, GN 1060
25. (Dad: ) There are a lot of things the Lord asks us to take purely by faith, and sometimes they simply can't be understood by the carnal mind because they're spiritually discerned.
26. It's like being saved. How in the world does that make sense? You accept Jesus' atonement for your sins by faith, right? But when you think about it in practical terms, when you first heard about salvation—was it logical? It's not logical to think that some man you not only don't know, but who lived 2‚000 years before you, died for you because He personally loved you. That out of all the billions of people who ever lived on Earth, He knew about little ol' you—and you weren't even going to be born for another 2,000 years! To think that just because this guy hung on a cross and died for you, you could be forgiven for all your sins and someday be taken to some far-out paradise where you'd finally meet the guy face to face and live happily ever after for all eternity—not to mention you were asked to believe that He not only died, but He actually rose from the dead three days later—all so that you could now have this man living in your heart—and how does someone else live in your heart anyhow—how much sense does all this make? It takes faith, right?
27. When Jesus tried to explain the concept of salvation to Nicodemus, He told him, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." But Nicodemus had a hard time understanding this whole concept. Why? Because it goes against carnal and logical thinking.
28. Nicodemus was raised in the jot and tittle of a very literal law dealing with every physical matter imaginable. Most of the Jews were. That's what Jesus came to set them—and us—free from. "The letter of the law killeth." "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
29. There's another brainteaser that you've accepted all your life: How can spoken words be spirit and life? This is a truth and principle that your heart and mind have accepted even though it makes no logical sense when you really think of it. And that is why, from the very beginning, when Paul was preaching to the very analytical Jews, the philosophical Greeks‚ and the carnal Romans, the Lord showed him that the carnal mind was at enmity with God.
30. I'll get around to answering your question in a minute, because, as I said, it's a good and valid question. But first I wanted to make the point that the fact that you're "choking" on this one little issue is an attack of the Enemy—a little seed of doubt through which he is trying to enter in and throw off your service for the Lord.
31. You've accepted much bigger and more complex issues by faith, so the fact that this question that you can't quite understand has grown to such large proportions and so large an issue in your mind shows that it's really the Enemy who is behind it, trying to bog you down and hinder your faith and service for the Lord through it.
32. The Lord knows that this is a major tactic of the Enemy, which is why He's giving and instructing us in the gifts of full possession and heavenly thought power—of letting our minds become one with His mind so that we can not only think His thoughts, but also partake of His power and heavenly perspectives and truths, against the very reasonable temptations of carnal logic such as the Enemy tempted the Lord with during those 40 days in the wilderness.
pages 155-164, Treasures
1. Most churches give people the idea that the great men, leaders and prophets of God throughout the Bible were all respectable‚ conventional examples of exemplary behavior.—Men who, were they living today, would no doubt be ideal members of society; good‚ upright church-goers and civic-minded citizens.
2. However, if we take a look directly into the Word of God—not in the churches' interpretations and explanations of the famous Bible characters' lives, but what the BIBLE itself says about them—we see that the great "saints" were anything BUT conventional! They were men of FAITH who simply believed GOD enough to follow His leadings and obey His commandments no matter WHAT He told them‚ even when they had no idea WHY God was asking them to do certain things! t
3. More often than not, God required them to do things completely CONTRARY to their own natural expectations, their own natural reasoning. They were men who "walked by FAITH and not by sight" (2Corinthians 5:7), who did things just because God said so. Sometimes they even ARGUED with the Lord, telling Him that that just wasn't the way to do it, or that surely there must be a better way! But when they finally let go & let God have HIS way, they always found out God was right and that HIS way was the BEST way!
4. It's often been said that, "God works in MYSTERIOUS ways His wonders to perform", and a study of the lives of the famous Bible characters whom God used certainly proves this true! In fact, God LOVES to do things contrary to our NATURAL expectation!—Because that takes a MIRACLE, and that shows that it's GOD'S doing and NOT MAN'S, and gives HIM the opportunity to manifest His supernatural power, and therefore HE gets ALL the GLORY!
5. The Lord says, "MY thoughts are NOT YOUR thoughts, neither are YOUR ways MY ways! For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways‚ and MY thoughts higher than your thoughts!"—Isaiah 55:8‚9. The "proper" way of doing things is usually of Man. But the UNEXPECTED and the IMPROPER, the UNCONVENTIONAL and UNTRADITIONAL, the UNORTHODOX and UNCEREMONIOUS, CONTRARY to Man's NATURAL expectation—this is the way that GOD usually works!
6. This is why the Lord says to His children, "I have chosen you to be a PECULIAR people unto Myself!"—Deuteronomy 14:2. Those who truly love and follow the Lord will always be DIFFERENT, "peculiar", compared to the vast majority of an unbelieving World.—Which is why God's children, prophets and leaders are often viewed by the rest of the World as a bunch of odd-balls, religious fanatics or just plain NUTS!
7. But the way that the WORLD looks at things is usually very DIFFERENT from the way that GOD looks at things.—"For the NATURAL (logical and carnal) man does NOT receive the things of the SPIRIT of GOD; for they are FOOLISHNESS unto him, neither can he know them, because they must be SPIRITUALLY understood!"—1Corinthians 2:14. Jesus even said, "That which is HIGHLY VALUED among MEN is an ABOMINATION in the sight of GOD!"—Luke 16:15.
8. Imagine how the wicked World must have looked on NOAH‚ who suddenly began building a GIGANTIC SHIP on DRY LAND! Day after day he toiled away for 120 years, until finally the great ocean vessel was complete! It was totally UNIMAGINABLE, UNEXPECTED and UNBELIEVABLE! It was so ridiculous‚ so completely unreasonable, they surely must have thought that Noah had lost his mind, because no one had ever tried to do anything like that before!—It'd never even RAINED before!
9. But Noah and his sons obeyed God and built that boat anyway, faithfully warning an unbelieving World of the impending judgments of God. And though he was laughed at and mocked, he had the last laugh, for the Flood came just like he said it would, and the very waters that drowned the wicked World literally saved Noah and his family by lifting the Ark high above the Earth below!—Genesis 6–8.
10. Another very unconventional character was DAVID‚ the greatest king that Israel ever had. From the start, David's life and ministry were contrary to natural expectation. When God's prophet, Samuel, went to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be the next king, he met the strong and handsome eldest son, Eliab, & thought, "Surely THIS one is the Lord's anointed!"—1Samuel 16:6. But the Lord told Samuel‚ "Do not consider his APPEARANCE or his HEIGHT, for I do not look at things as MAN looks at things; for MAN looks on the OUTWARD appearance, but the LORD looks on the HEART!"—1Samuel 16:7.
11. After meeting and prayerfully looking over Jesse's six other sons, Samuel said‚ "The Lord has not chosen any of these. Are these ALL the sons you have, Jesse?"
12. Jesse replied, "Well, there is still the YOUNGEST, but he is out tending the sheep."
13. Samuel sent for him, and as soon as David entered the room—the one who was so small & young that his own father did not even consider him being chosen—the Lord told Samuel, "Arise and anoint him, THIS is the one I have chosen to be king!"—1Samuel 16:12.
14. A short time later, David's famous confrontation with Goliath took place. King Saul initially refused to let David go meet the giant in battle, realizing that this little shepherd boy was no match for the mighty man of war. But when Saul saw that David would not be deterred, he insisted that David wear his royal armor and take his sword. But David declined, and went to battle armed with his wooden shepherd's staff, a sling and a few stones.
15. The great Goliath was so insulted to see such a weak-looking opponent coming to meet him that he roared with contempt, "Am I a DOG that you send a BOY to fight me with STICKS?"—1Samuel 17:43.
16. But David shouted back, "You come to me with a sword, spear and shield, but I come to you in the NAME of the LORD of hosts, Whom you have defied! And the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and all present shall know that the Lord is not dependent on a sword or spear: For the battle is the LORD'S and HE will deliver you into my hand!"—1Samuel 17:45-47.
17. David then loaded his faithful slingshot‚ ran toward Goliath and cut loose with just one honest bit of rock, and the Philistine phony bit the dust! And the LORD won a great victory!—In a way completely contrary to anything that the seasoned generals and advisors of Israel's army had ever dreamt or imagined!
18. Another example of the absolutely unorthodox way in which God works can be found in the story of GIDEON. Gideon was the simple son of a simple farmer, but the Lord was with him‚ and he found himself commanding an army of 32,000 soldiers of Israel. Before engaging the vastly superior forces of the enemy, "the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the children of the East, who lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude, without number!" (Judges 7:12), the Lord surprised Gideon by telling him, "The people that are with you are TOO MANY for Me to deliver the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel exalt THEMSELVES against Me and say, 'Mine OWN hand has saved me!'"—Judges 7:2.
19. So the Lord had Gideon send home 31‚700 men, leaving him with a tiny band of only 300 soldiers! Then the Lord told Gideon to do about the CRAZIEST thing you ever heard of in order to win a battle!—He divided his 300 men into three bands, and armed each man with a TRUMPET and a CLAY PITCHER with a LAMP burning inside of it!—The World's first firebombs, or "Molotov cocktails"! They then crept up on the sprawling camp of their enemies by night, spreading out and surrounding it from all sides. Then Gideon gave the signal, and all of his men began shouting and yelling, blowing their trumpets and breaking their pitchers at once!
20. The Midianites were so startled and terrified to be awoken by the horrible crash and clatter of 300 pieces of pottery breaking at once and the sudden flood of light from 300 brightly burning fires surrounding them from all sides‚ combined with the tremendous racket of Gideon's orchestra of 300 TRUMPETERS, that they panicked and in confusion literally began slaying each other! "And all the host ran and cried and fled, and the Lord set their OWN swords against each other, and the entire army fled before Gideon!"—Judges 7:15-22.
21. What a RIDICULOUS way to win a battle! What an INGLORIOUS way to conquer the enemy! It seemed stupid, idiotic, unheard of!—But GOD did it! And Gideon & Israel could only thank GOD for the victory, because all they did was something absolutely ABSURD like breaking pitchers, waving torches‚ tooting trumpets and yelling their heads off, while GOD did all the dirty work! Who could possibly get the credit for THAT kind of a battle except the LORD?—Certainly not a fool like Gideon who was crazy enough to believe God and follow His illogical leadings!
22. Frequently the Lord told His prophets to do some very shocking, unorthodox & unconventional things just to JOLT the people out of their lethargy and make them pay ATTENTION to His message to them. In some cases He had His prophets act out certain parts, or play certain roles‚ in order to vividly portray and illustrate His messages in ways the people couldn't forget—demonstrations!
23. Theologians and Bible scholars often refer to the great prophet, ISAIAH‚ as "the ROYAL prophet" or "the NOBLE prophet", but very few seem to realize that he was also "the NAKED prophet"! "And the Lord told Isaiah, 'Go and remove the clothing from off your loins, and take off your sandals from your feet!', and Isaiah did so, and WALKED NAKED and BAREFOOT! And the Lord said‚ 'Like My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for THREE YEARS for a SIGN and a WONDER unto Egypt and to Ethiopia, so shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians and the Ethiopians as captives and prisoners, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks bared, to the shame of these nations!'"—Isaiah 20:2–4.
24. IMAGINE!—The prophet of God running around STARK NAKED for THREE YEARS to show the people of Egypt and Ethiopia how they would shamefully be carried away captive and punished for their sins! Sounds CRAZY‚ doesn't it? Well, it WAS, but it was GOD'S doing!
25. The Lord also had His prophet, Ezekiel, put on a dramatic public demonstration to warn His people.—A demonstration that was so unusual, so improper, such an exhibition of "abnormal" and "anti-social" behavior, if anyone were to pull such a stunt in most "enlightened" and "civilized" countries today, they'd be immediately jailed or locked up in a mental institution!
26. Under God's instructions, Ezekiel took a large clay tablet and drew on it a picture of the capital city of Israel, Jerusalem. He then laid SIEGE against this representation of Jerusalem‚ building ramps and setting up miniature battering-rams around it. He then lay down on his side before it for 430 DAYS!
27. The Lord instructed him beforehand to prepare a large container of wheat, barley & beans, from which he was to make rations of bread for himself for the entire 14-month period. The Lord then turned poor Ezekiel's stomach by telling him‚ "Eat this food as you would a barley cake; bake it with DUNG that comes out of a MAN, in the sight of the people! For thus saith the Lord, even so shall the children of Israel eat DEFILED BREAD among the Gentiles where I will drive them!"—Ezekiel 4:12,13.
28. Being a strict orthodox Jew who had always observed all the dietary laws of Moses, Ezekiel protested, "Oh‚ Lord God! I have never defiled myself! From my youth until now I have never eaten any unclean food!"
29. "Very well," the Lord answered. "I will give you COW'S dung instead of man's dung‚ and you shall prepare your bread with IT!"—Ezekiel 4:14-15. So for 430 days‚ Ezekiel besieged a clay representation of the city of Jerusalem & lay on his side eating rationed portions of dung bread in order to forewarn the people of the judgments that were soon to befall them!
30. The prophet HOSEA was instructed to put on a demonstration that was perhaps more pleasurable than Isaiah's, but nevertheless very unorthodox and unusual! To demonstrate to backslidden Israel how their sins and idolatry were spiritual adultery in His eyes‚ God commanded Hosea, "Go, take a woman of whoredoms, a PROSTITUTE, and MARRY her, for the land has committed great whoredom in departing from the Lord!"—Hosea 1:2. Despite all of their religious laws, conventions and traditions against such action, Hosea promptly found a prostitute whom he married, and by whom he had three children.
31. Then to show His Love for His people despite their unfaithfulness to Him, after Hosea's wife left him for other lovers‚ the Lord told him, "Go, show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another. Love her as the Lord loves His people, though they turn to other gods." Hosea obeyed, and says, "So I bought her back to me for 15 pieces of silver."—Hosea 3:1‚2.
32. Hosea's marriage certainly wasn't the respectable sort of relationship that preachers are usually expected to have, but it was GOD'S doing, and served as a powerful example and reminder to His people of HIS relationship with them!
33. No greater testimony of God's DISREGARD for the traditions, conventions, expectations and opinions of men can be found than that of the birth‚ life and death of His Own Son, JESUS! Think how much more RESPECTABLE and ACCEPTABLE it would have been if the King of kings had been born in a PALACE with illustrious members of the court in attendance, with all the honor and praise of Rome!—But no, God chose to have His Own Son come into this World born on the dirty floor of a barn with the cows and the asses and the smell of all that manure, wrapped in rags and laid to rest in an animal feed trough with a motley crew of poor little shepherd boys kneeling on the floor beside Him!
34. Common sense tells us that Jesus could have gotten off to a better, more respectable start if He'd had the approval and blessing of the system of His day. But instead of having a prominent potentate‚ a man of influence and power, for an earthly father, God chose Joseph the CARPENTER, a humble hewer of wood.
35. Instead of this truly first family being received, recognized & reverenced by the World, Mary and Joseph were forced to become FUGITIVES from injustice, fleeing for their lives with baby Jesus into a foreign country as if they were common criminals!
36. And consider the sort of DISCIPLES Jesus chose: Instead of selecting SCHOLARS from the SANHEDRIN—the Jewish religious court where the great learned Doctors of the Law and the nation's best theologians and priests were trained—He chose a bunch of stinking FISHERMEN and even a despised TAX COLLECTOR to be His closest followers, as well as some of the town's worst HARLOTS and RADICALS!
37. Instead of COOPERATING with and securing the blessing of the powerful religious system and its hierarchy, He continually CHALLENGED the churches of His day‚ DEFYING their CONVENTIONS and DESTROYING their TRADITIONS, even telling them that the great TEMPLE, around which their entire religion revolved‚ was going to be DESTROYED!—No wonder they accused Him of sacrilege and blasphemy!
38. And imagine, He personally made a WHIP and stormed into their hallowed Temple grounds, lashing the money changers, busting up the furniture and spilling all their money—on two or three different occasions! He must have KNOWN that the big-shot religionists wouldn't be too pleased with such actions and were bound to get Him in the end!—Which they DID!—And WHAT an end!—To be WHIPPED and STRIPPED and publicly executed, crucified cruelly on a CROSS to die between two THIEVES!
39. Then the Lord picked PAUL to be one of His leading Apostles!—Surely the Lord must have known that the Jews wouldn't like the idea of one of their top men turning into a radical Christian! Even the BRETHREN doubted the wisdom of such a thing, and found it hard to believe that their worst persecutor could suddenly be their bosom buddy! Paul's life was so RADICAL‚ so FANATICAL, it was totally CONTRARY to what most people today think a Christian should be like!
40. Realizing how the rest of the World looked on him, Paul wrote to some rather well-to-do compromising Christians, "We Apostles are a SPECTACLE unto the World! We are FOOLS for Christ!—But YOU are WISE. We are WEAK‚ but YOU are STRONG. You are honored, but WE are DESPISED! To this very hour we go hungry, thirsty and are naked, persecuted, and have no certain dwelling place. We are as the SCUM of the Earth, the REFUSE of this World!"—1Corinthians 4:9-13.
41. Time and space would fail us to tell of ABRAHAM, who left his home country to take off and travel for the Lord for the rest of his life, "not knowing whither he went"!—Hebrews 11:8.—Or of MOSES, who forsook Egypt and the position of a Pharaoh and all of the wealth and power he could have wanted, to become a shepherd in the wilderness, who returned 40 years later to defy Pharaoh and to free his people!—Or of SAMSON, who was always cracking jokes, chasing women, and slew 1,000 of his enemies single-handedly with the jawbone of an ass!—Or of JEREMIAH‚ who ran around wearing an ox–yoke as he prophesied his nation's doom and captivity, and was consequently hung in the public stocks and thrown in prison, branded as a traitor to his own people!—Or of PETER, ANDREW, JAMES and JOHN, who suddenly left their families' fishing business to take off with a total Stranger Who called, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of MEN!"—Matthew 4:19.
42. There are countless other examples of dedicated men and women of God throughout the Bible and history whose lives vividly demonstrate that, indeed, the Lord DOES work in MYSTERIOUS ways His wonders to perform!-Almost always preferring to do things CONTRARY to NATURAL expectation, just to show that HE is GOD‚ and the BOSS, and can do ANYTHING—even the IMPOSSIBLE—REGARDLESS of natural conditions and circumstances or Man's traditions or conventions!
43. His followers are often poor‚ weak and not very well educated—certainly not the kind of men or women that the World expects could ever really accomplish anything. But the Bible says that God actually CHOOSES and PREFERS to use this kind of person. He says, "NOT MANY WISE men after the flesh, not many MIGHTY, not many NOBLE are called: But God has chosen the FOOLISH things of this World to CONFOUND the WISE, and God has chosen the WEAK things of the World to CONFOUND the things which are MIGHTY; and the LOWLY things of the World and the things which are DESPISED has God chosen, yea, and the thing which are NOTHING to bring to nothing the things that are something, so that NO FLESH should glory in His presence!"—1Corinthians 1:25-29.
44. The Lord chooses and uses such people because they know that their OWN ideas, their OWN strength, their OWN wisdom are NOT ENOUGH, and therefore they HAVE to lean on HIM and follow HIS leadings, and are willing to go GOD'S way no matter how CRAZY it may seem sometimes!—Even if it's unconventional, unexpected, improper, illogical and completely contrary to Man's so–called "norm"!
45. In fact‚ if you are really willing to follow GOD, to be a faithful WITNESS for the Lord‚ you cannot help but go AGAINST the normal, acceptable‚ respectable, traditional ways of the WORLD, "for whosoever will be a FRIEND of the WORLD is the ENEMY of GOD!"—James 4:4.
46. God help YOU to follow HIM and HIS Will and HIS Word!—NOT MAN'S way but GOD'S way! If you're willing to buck the tide and go GOD'S way, standing up for Jesus and telling others about the Lord, He will mightily BLESS you and be WITH you and make you a GREAT BLESSING to many!—And even if the unbelieving WORLD mocks, ridicules and REJECTS you, HE will praise, honor and ACCEPT you, welcoming you Home one day into His Heavenly City with glorious eternal rewards!—"Well done, My good and faithful servant!—Enter into the JOY of your Lord!"—Matthew 25:23.—Will THESE be His Words of welcome to YOU?
#224, 261
You cannot shut your eyes and shut your ears and take in nothing from this world, for this world is all about you, and you are in this world. But if you would not be of this world, then you must cleanse yourselves and purify yourselves with the antidote of My Word, that you shall become clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.
Heed My Words—listen to them and believe them—for Satan has desired to have you, to defeat you!—Not by a great flood‚ but by the little foxes that eat the vines. A little here, a little there; a little weakening; a little chipping away of the foundation here, a little there; a little disbelief here‚ a little doubt there; a little of your own wrong conclusions.
I say this to all: Let the Words of David, the Words of God, the Words of My mouth, the Words of My Book be your standard!—Not that which man says. Not that which is politically correct but is a deception and a deceit and a lie, perpetrated by those who would destroy the Word and the works of God! For am I politically correct? Was David politically correct?—Or did he speak the Words of truth as I spoke through him? Is the Bible politically correct? No, these things are an offense to man, but they nevertheless are the pure Words of God!
To those of you who are pure, My Words are pure! They are life–giving waters! They cleanse your spirit! They nourish your soul! They strengthen your minds and your hearts‚ and they draw you nigh unto Me (ML #3025).
Do not think that you know best, for the mind of man is not greater than the mind of God. That which seems logical to your mind does not necessarily mean that it is the way of God. For My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. It is in the acceptance of My Word, in the acceptance of faith, where there is peace and where there is rest in spirit.
So lay down the burden of your mind. Lay down the burden of your doubt. Lay down the burden of your analyticality. Lay down the burden of that which you have seen and that which you believed to be true, and come to Me with faith.
When I lay in the boat sleeping, and the waves and the wind and the storm battered about, My disciples knew not what to do, but were fearful for the wind and fearful for the waves and fearful for the vessel. So they woke Me, they came to Me‚ for they knew that the answer lay in My power. I said‚ "Peace‚ be still," and there was peace. They came to Me, admitting that they knew not what to do, and I gave them peace.
So come to Me in faith, the faith of a little child who knows that his father will not lead him astray, but will speak the truth to him.
Come to Me in faith, laying down your preconceived ideas‚ laying down that which you are so certain is so. Come to Me with an open heart and an open mind and let Me give you peace—the peace that comes from faith, the peace that comes from trust, the peace that comes from knowing that you are yielded to the will of God (ML #3041).
#186, 196, 350, 545
Jangled lines! Mangled, tangled, jangled lines! Complexities! A great web of complexities, all tangled and snarled and intertwined—in and out and over and under, fumbled, mumbled, garbled, the great web of jangled lines. They are jangled and complex. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophies and vain deceit‚ after the rudiments of the world and not after Me.
My truth is simple and easy to obtain, easy to put into practice, even in the complex and tangled world in which you live. Simplicity is My law! I do not put the doorknob too high for My children of all colors and creeds and races to reach. I speak not only of My salvation and of My love, but of all spheres of your life. My will is simple. Simplicity is My law.
So beware of the tangled lines, for the Evil One walks about as a roaring lion‚ seeking to entrap and snarl you up in the web of complexities. He advertises his propaganda far and wide through the network of jangled and tangled lines.
You, My children, must walk in wisdom toward them that are without. You must be wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves. Just as you must try the spirits to see if they be of Me, so you must try the information that comes across your path, by praying and seeking Me in all things‚ to see if it be of Me. Be wise as serpents, praying and seeking the wisdom that is from above‚ and be harmless as doves as you proceed down the path of My will.
Continue to seek Me in all things, so you may know what is from Me. Satan is very wise and very sly. He mixes much truth with the lie so that it is desirable, delightful, appealing to the eye, soothing to the touch, yet poisonous within. Did not the serpent beguile Eve in such a way—tempting her with a believable story? He is the same old Satan today! He does not always come around in a red suit with horns, pitchfork, and a tail, but with smooth words, pretty pictures, desirable appeals, even miracles to some degree.
You must try the spirits to see if they be of God. Continue to stay close to Me and My Words, with your eyes fixed upon Me, seeking Me desperately in all things big and small, that you be not led astray from My simplicity. (ML #3053)
This is the day of information, the day of knowledge. Did I not say that in the Last Days knowledge would be increased? It is the grand finale, and the stage is set for the final scene. Seek the knowledge that is from above, that is pure and peaceable, easy to be entreated.
Satan is the author of half–truths. He mixes truth with lies that are designed to trap and ensnare in the web of the jangled lines, and he is becoming bolder and bolder in these Last Days. You must walk circumspectly. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without. Pray desperately lest you fill your mind and heart with much information and confusion of Satan.
Though it is necessary to stay informed‚ to keep up with the latest, it is for this very reason that you must stay filled with the antidote of My Word, the inoculation of My Spirit, that you may know how to choose the good and eschew the evil. Continue to fill up with positive, faith-building, encouraging, strengthening things from My Word, that you may hear My still small voice within you saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it," or, "This is not the way‚ turn ye away from it," that you may stay pure and undefiled in this wicked and perverse generation. (ML #3053)
Put not your faith in the things of the world. Put not your faith in the things of Egypt. Have I not called you out of Egypt, lo‚ these many years? Have you forgotten from whence you have come? Have you forgotten what you have come out from? You have lived in Gardens of Eden, in Heavenly Homes! Turn not back. Turn not away from the heritage which the Lord your God has given to you. (GN 498)
Keep your hearts diligently. Be aware of what goes into your heart. Discern what you take in. Distinguish between the right and the wrong, the good and the bad, the evil and the loving. Closely follow the Word and guard your thoughts. For the Enemy of your heart and soul would devour you with his subtle lies and doubts and evil innuendoes. He knows that his time is short.
The crown is now descending, but still can be lost. Hold it fast! Be not as the foolish man who opens his mouth wide and fills it with whatever is given him without thinking or discerning, or the foolish woman who desires whatever she sees. Do take in the good, but with all diligence reject the evil. The evil influences are much greater in this time and in this day, and do always try to snuff out the light I have given. (ML #3070)
1-2, 7
A. Faith is a belief in the unseen:
2Cor.4:18We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen...which are eternal
2Cor.5:7We walk by faith, not by sight
Heb.11:27By faith he...endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible
(See also Rom.8:24)
B. Faith is a substantial & real thing:
Heb.11:1Faith is the substance (title deed) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
Gal.5:6[Nothing] availeth any thing, (except) faith which worketh by love
A. We are saved by faith:
Jn.3:16Whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus) should...have everlasting life
Jn.3:36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life
Lk.7:47-50Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee
Acts 10:43bWhoever believeth in Him...receive remission of sins
Acts 16:31Believe on...Jesus Christ, & thou shalt be saved
Rom.5:1Being justified by faith, we have peace with God
Gal.3:26Ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus
Eph.2:8,9For by grace are ye saved through faith
Eph.3:17aThat Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith
(See also 1Pet.1:9)
B. We must live by faith:
Gal.2:20Life which I live, I live by the faith of (Jesus)
Heb.10:38aThe just shall live by faith (See also Rom.1:17b)
1Jn.5:4bThis is the victory that overcometh the world‚ even our faith
C. We cannot please God without faith:
Heb.11:6Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)
Rom.14:23bWhatsoever is not of faith is sin
D. Faith gives us the strength to keep going:
Psa.27:13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
Rom.11:20aThou standest by faith
2Cor.4:16–18We faint not...while we look not at things which are seen, but at things which are not seen
1Sam.16:7The Lord seeth not as man seeth; man looketh on the outward appearance...Lord looketh on the heart
Psa.118:8It is better to trust in the Lord than...in man
Pro.3:5,6Trust in Lord; & lean not unto thine own understanding
Isa.11:3He shall not judge (according to) the sight of his eyes
Isa.55:8,9Neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord
Jer.17:5Cursed be the man that trusteth in man [& not in God]
Jn.20:29bBlessed are they that have not seen, & yet...believed
1Cor.1:21The world by wisdom knew not God
1Cor.2:5Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God
1Cor.2:14aThe natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
2Cor.5:7For we walk by faith, not by sight
Definition: Being guided by or trusting in our own human understanding, reasoning, logic, or experience, rather than by the Lord through prayer and His Word.
* 2 Chronicles 26:5 [Sixteen-year-old King Uzziah found the key to success:] And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
* Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord‚ and depart from evil.
* Proverbs 23:4b Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
* Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.
* Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way.
* Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
* Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. 7a Be not wise in thine own eyes.
* Isaiah 48:17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer‚ the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
* Acts 5:38b,39 [What God directs and ordains will be successful regardless!] If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
* Jeremiah 10:23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
* Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
* Proverbs 20:24 Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
* John 15:5 I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.
* Acts 17:21-23‚27‚28,30,31 [The worldly wise men at Mars' hill in Athens were ignorant of the Lord, but Paul attempts to enlighten them.] (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell‚ or to hear some new thing.) 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens‚ I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. … 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: 28 For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. ... 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by That Man [Jesus] Whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men‚ in that He hath raised Him from the dead.
* Psalm 127:1a Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
* Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
* Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
* Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
* 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
* Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
* Proverbs 26:12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.
* Proverbs 28:26a He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.
* Isaiah 47:10 For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am‚ and none else beside me.
* Jeremiah 8:8-9 How do ye say‚ We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made He it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the Word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?
* Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment‚ and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight‚ saith the Lord.
* Romans 1:21,22 When they knew God‚ they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
* Romans 8:6–8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity [animosity, hostility] against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
* 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again‚ The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
* 1 Corinthians 8:1b-3 Knowledge puffeth up, but charity [love] edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.
* 2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience‚ that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
* Proverbs 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
* Romans 12:16b Be not wise in your own conceits.
* 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.
* James 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell‚ and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time‚ and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
* 1 Samuel 16:7b Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
* Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.
* Ecclesiastes 2:26a For God giveth to a man that is good in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy.
* Isaiah 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
* Isaiah 55:8,9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways‚ and My thoughts than your thoughts.
* John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
* Psalm 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
* Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
* Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
* Proverbs 6:22‚23 When thou goest‚ it [the Word] shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
* John 1:1b,4‚ 9 The Word was God. … 4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. … 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
* 2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure Word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
* Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
* Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying‚ This is the way, walk ye in it‚ when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
* Isaiah 58:9a Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am.
* Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
* Matthew 7:7,8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
* John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.
* James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not [without finding fault]; and it shall be given him.
* James 4:2b [Don't neglect to ask God for help.] Ye have not‚ because ye ask not.
Copyright © 2004 by The Family International
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