Shooting Straight, Part 6--Letter Links: Strive to Believe

September 21, 2004

Table of Contents

(ML #3505, GN 1094)

FD/MM/FM August 2004

Old Bottles

ML #242:40-41, Vol.2

40. Some of these old guys would just as soon I wouldn't have gotten some of these new things that make them wonder and question! "Ah‚ I was afraid maybe one of these days he would get off the track! I ha' me doots about this new doctrine, this new revelation! Goddesses helpers, Spirits, Gadaffi‚ and Whores and Makarios and Holy Holes and the Arts of Oh!—And my Lord! With 'Mountain' Maid,' that guy's gone plum wild, off his rocker! Things aren't like they used to be back in dear old TSC! I can remember the days when...!" ... Some of these old bottles are breaking!

41. OLD BOTTLES LIKE IT LIKE IT WAS: THEY LOVE THE OLD, DISLIKE THE NEW, RESIST CHANGE, and therefore they've solidified, AND THAT WHICH RESISTS CHANGE IS NO LONGER PART OF THE REVOLUTION‚ BUT HAS BECOME AN OLD BOTTLE, A PART OF AN OLD System! But a Revolution keeps moving and changing and revolving and revoluting! To revolve you have to go clear to this side then to that side, and from one extreme to the other, but you never get any further from the Centre, Jesus, no matter how much you revolve or how far or fast or slow you go! But you're constantly changing positions. Either that, or you're not revoluting, and when you stop revoluting your engine is dead and your vehicle is motionless and your motor's quit and you've quit and you're dead‚ lifeless, motionless and useless!—And that's what's wrong with some of our people!

Show'm Jesus

ML #2074:48-52, Vol.16

48. OUR FAITH IS NOT BUILT ON ANY SUPERNATURAL, MIRACULOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT WORLD! The Lord is requiring this generation ' most of the World's population since the beginning of time, to believe by faith in His Word, just to believe the Word, just to believe what He said. "Faith comes by hearing the Word of God"—today! (Rom.10:17) Faith in the Millennium will be coming by not only hearing the Word of God, but seeing! You'll see the Kingdom of God on Earth! Nobody will have to convince you then that there's a God ' that Jesus Christ His Son is the King of kings ruling the World, you will see the evidence of it on every hand.

49. NOBODY WILL HAVE TO CONVINCE ANY LOST SOULS OR SINNERS THEN with the preaching of some of our lovely young maidens who are going to be preaching the Gospel in the Millennium. Nobody's going to have to convince those people that there's God ' Jesus is His Son ’ that this is the Kingdom of Christ on Earth, all you're going to have to do is just invite them to receive Him! And I think there are going to be millions who are even going to receive ’ believe just by having seen!

50. BUT MORE BLESSED ARE YE, WHO THOUGH HAVING NOT SEEN, YET HAVE BELIEVED! (Jn.20:29) That is a principle of the spiritual Kingdom of God, that He is going to bless those who have simply believed by faith in the spirit ' the Spirit World ' all things spiritual, including the death of Christ for you. You weren't there at the cross, you didn't see it happen, you don't know anything about it except somebody told you.

51. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY IS BY THE WORD, GOD'S WORD! He's requiring of this generation ' all former generations that they be saved just by believing Him ' His Word. But the Millennial Kingdom will come ' that era of faith ' belief will come even by having seen. But they will not have as great a blessing as you have‚ because you believed though having not seen.

52. I'M TRYING TO SHOW YOU THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE OPERATION OF THE SPIRITUAL KINGDOM OF GOD ’ THE SPIRIT WORLD, that you must believe though having not seen, even though maybe you didn't have a dream or any kind of spiritual manifestation whatsoever that there was any spiritual thing going on at all. You just heard somebody tell you the Gospel about the Love of Jesus, maybe they showed you the Love of Jesus too, in their life, in their face, in their deeds, ' you believed.

State of the Nation '95

ML #3017:106-113, Lifelines 22

106. (Prophecy, Dad speaking:) "Folks, it is a new day! That's what I said would happen when I was gone‚ that Maria would pour forth the Words by the handfuls! Before, she just gave it out kernel by kernel‚ but now she pours it forth by handfuls. You know‚ I taught you all to be revolutionary, moving in all kinds of directions but never straying from the center. Moving first one direction, spinning and spinning in a revolution and then turning and spinning in another direction, but all on the same axis, Jesus. Well, that hasn't changed.

107. "But goodness, if I ever taught you anything it was to be ready for the new! I was constantly changing things because the Lord was constantly changing things! We moved this direction‚ then we turned and went that direction, because I was following the Lord. I was listening to what He said and I was passing it on to you and you received it.

108. "You didn't think that was all going to end when I passed on, did you? You didn't think that everything would become solidified and that there would be no change after I was gone, did you? You didn't think that the Lord would stop speaking and leading? I told you that He would keep speaking, that He would keep speaking through Mama, and that she would pour forth unto you, and she's doing it! She's doing it in the way appointed by God Himself. So why do you tremble? Why do you fear? Is it because the wine stretches and stretches and stretches your bottle?

109. "And what did I say before?—If you wanted to remain as a new bottle, you had to pour out the old and receive the new! That doesn't mean that you pour it out upon the ground and it is no longer useful. It means that it is properly aged and you bottle it and you use it accordingly, but you have to have receptive vessels to receive the new.

110. "So don't worry and don't fret. Don't fear. Goodness, there is lots that the Lord wants to give and will give and is giving, and there is more to come. So empty out your bottles, your wineskins, your vats! Empty them out of the old and bottle it and keep it and drink it when needed‚ for it is vintage wine that will strengthen you and cheer your hearts. But what is poured forth now is new wine‚ new direction for this new day. And believe me, you need it! You need it for what's ahead. Take my word for it.

111. "The old wine and the ancient wine is all still good, it's all still wine, it's all still usable, it's all still instructive, it's all still true, and you must apply it with wisdom and by the Spirit of God. But don't reject that which is new based on that which was past. Receive it as new wine. Receive it as new Words. It adds to that which has already been given, for it gives you new instruction for this day. It builds upon that which has been built before. It adds to it; it does not subtract from it.

112. "Even if you can't understand it all, don't worry, you certainly couldn't understand everything that I gave.—I didn't even understand it all! But I gave it in faith and you received it in faith. And that's the name of the game—faith! Faith to trust, faith to believe, faith to receive, and faith to be blessed. For without faith it is impossible to please Him.

113. "So open your hearts with faith and receive‚ just as you received the Words that I gave. Even those that you did not understand, even those that were difficult to believe, you just received by faith. And when you did, the Lord blessed you. So receive that which the Lord is pouring forth unto you now, by faith that you will be blessed and that you will continue to be the children of David." (End of prophecy.)

Loving Jesus, Part 5

ML #3031:102-115, GN 663

102. (Prophecy:) Have I not said that the just shall live by faith? My children throughout all ages have had to live by faith, to follow Me by faith. When I called them to go out and leave lands, they had to go by faith. They asked‚ "Why? Why should we leave?" But they obeyed and they followed by faith. For this is pleasing to Me.—Faith and obedience. Did I not say that there are many things that I have to reveal unto you but you cannot bear them yet? There are still many things, as I bring you closer to the Heavenly realm and to the Heavenly Kingdom.

103. For who can understand faith? Who can explain faith? And this is what is pleasing to Me, faith in Me. You believe in Me by faith. You have everlasting life by faith. There is a Heavenly Kingdom by faith. There is a crown for you by faith. And blessed are those eyes that see by faith and that require not a sign.

104. For I knew these things would be hard, but I also knew I could reveal them to My children, the children of David. I share these things out of love and the desire for a closer relationship with you.—Not to push you away or to distance you, but so that we can be even closer and more intimate and share all things.

105. I knew it would be hard. I have asked you to praise Me, and even that is hard sometimes. Is it easy for you to go unto the hard fields and sow the seed? No‚ it is difficult; but you do it out of love for Me and obedience. Because of the hindrances of the flesh, the things of the Spirit are sometimes difficult to understand. That is why you must have faith and drink in and swallow and receive, little by little, drop by drop, step by step, and follow Me by faith.

106. Many of My disciples turned away and followed Me no more, because they did not see with the eyes of the Spirit, but tried to understand it in the flesh. But I am preparing My children for the future, for living in the realm of the Spirit. I am giving them tests now‚ in preparation for the grades they will need to graduate from in the future. And you cannot skip grades or jump grades; you must pass one grade at a time.

107. But I am pleased with you, My children, who have been faithful, and have been obedient, and have followed Me by faith, the children of faith. And I know you will continue to follow by faith!

108. I love to be with you—while you are eating‚ or while you are playing, or while you are on get-out, or while you are working. In the bed of love, I love to participate and be one with you‚ because I love you and desire to be closer to you and you to Me, so that we can be one.

109. But how can we be one? This is by faith and must be seen with the eyes of the Spirit. So fear not, worry not. Do not worry about the future or the opinions of men, just look to Me and love Me in obedience and in faith and I will see you through. For the carnal mind is at enmity with Me. Do not worry, and do not allow the Enemy to build walls or partitions. For I desire to be closer and not more distant, to be even more one!

110. So worry not and doubt not and fret not, but simply accept by faith. For this is pleasing to Me—the eyes of faith and the acceptance of faith. I will reward you with the desires of your heart, a closer relationship with Me as a result of your faith. (End of prophecy.)

112. (Mama:) In the above prophecy, Jesus shares the basic principles of faith, that ingredient of our spiritual lives without which we could not even have been saved, and the one by which we live daily. He says‚ "You believe in Me by faith. You have everlasting life by faith. There is a Heavenly Kingdom by faith. There is a crown for you by faith."

113. This certainly isn't the first time you've been asked by the Lord to receive a revelation or spiritual truth by faith! When you think about it, our whole lives, the things we live for and look forward to, are all by faith; and it is this very faith and obedience in unseen truths and principles that pleases the Lord! He knew this would be difficult for us‚ but He reminds us that just because something is difficult is no reason to not obey. The Lord recognizes that even praising Him and witnessing is difficult, but we still do it out of obedience and our love for Him.

114. There is a sober reminder in this prophecy that many of Jesus' disciples turned away and followed Him no more because they didn't see things with the eyes of the Spirit, but instead tried to understand with their minds. The Lord says, "Because of the hindrances of the flesh, the things of the Spirit are sometimes difficult to understand. That's why you must have faith and drink in and swallow and receive, little by little, drop by drop‚ step by step, and follow Me by faith."

115. If you find that you are having a difficult time if your flesh or your mind or your pride is getting in the way‚ if you're battling in your mind and arguing theology and coming up with all kinds of seemingly logical reasons why this can't be, then please ask for prayer that you'll be able to become more childlike and have a believing spirit and receive this by faith!

Prophecies on Doubts

ML #3041:79-82, Lifelines 23

79. (Prophecy:) I have spoken many Words unto My children throughout all the ages. I have revealed unto them truth, truth, and more truth. I have given unto them many revelations through My Words, and it is up to them to choose to follow, to believe, to receive. Those who do, prosper and grow; those who do not‚ fall along the wayside of limited fruitfulness. There are many, many in the church today who believe My Words‚ but do not receive all that I have to say. They are able to accomplish some, but I cannot use them to the full, because they do not receive all that I give, or all that I have given, nor all that I will give.

80. That is their choice, and this is the choice that I give unto each one of you: whether to forge ahead and to continue to receive and believe the Words that I give, or to remain at the plateau at which you have arrived. This is always the choice that is given to My children. Will they continue to climb, or will they be satisfied where they are? If they choose to be satisfied, then I will use them there on that plateau, and they will be fruitful there. But those who choose to carry on up the mountain will go to new heights and receive the blessings and the fruitfulness that are higher up the mountain.

81. These are the Words that I have given, and this is the choice that I put before you: Do you come to Me with an open or a closed heart? Have you decided that you have climbed this far and will climb no further‚ or will you climb further in faith? This is what I ask you: that you decide, that you search your heart.

82. Know this, that I love those that remain on the plateau‚ and I love those that continue the climb. But they that continue to climb will ascend higher and see more and partake of those things which are higher up the mountain. Each one must make his own choice. (End of prophecy.)

Believing Prophecy

ML #3130:3-138, 204-211, Lifelines 24

3. (Mama:) While many of you have been thoroughly enjoying yourselves as you feast on the Lord's Words, there are some of you who continue to struggle and battle with them. You've been hit with doubts and disbelief, and the Enemy is fighting you hard and trying to get you to stop believing, stop receiving, and stop drinking in the Word.

4. Some prophecies published in the GNs you've been okay with, since they went along with what you already thought or what seemed like "common sense" to you. But you have had a harder time with other prophecies which ran contrary to your natural reasoning, and you find yourself resisting them or wondering whether they're really the Lord's Words, or maybe someone got it wrong, or worse yet, even made it up or just put their own thoughts into words.

5. As a result, some folks have even wondered whether there is something wrong with the direction the Lord is leading the Family‚ or have thought that maybe it's not really the Lord Who's in control, but "Mama and Peter directing things" and just saying that it's the Lord. When you get that far afield and the doubts grow that deep, you start wondering what really is the truth. You find it harder to accept and believe what the Lord gives, especially when it's a "strange truth" that doesn't quite fit with what you think the Lord ought to be saying or the way He ought to be saying it.

6. In the "Crisis of Faith" series, I wrote at length on the subject of doubts‚ and included a number of messages from the Lord and Dad, including Jesus' personal testimony. In this GN I'd like to share some more of what the Lord and Dad have had to say on this subject in recent months, more specifically in regards to doubting the prophecies that are published in the GNs. The Lord and Dad explain the dangers of doubting the Words that they give from the spirit world, and outline the dangers this can lead to step by step, how it's a tool of the Enemy to derail you and seriously hinder or even destroy your service for the Lord.

7. The Enemy knows how important our connection with the Lord is, and how vital it is if we are to complete the mission the Lord has given us of winning the world for Him and preaching His Endtime message, as well as being leaders and bellwethers in the very Last Days when so many people will be looking for the truth and a way to escape the Antichrist's control. He knows that without good, strong communication with Headquarters and our Commander in Chief‚ we won't be able to fight the battles that are ahead of us very effectively, and we will thus become easy prey for him.

8. The Devil knows that if he can cut us off from receiving the instructions of our Heavenly Guide, we'll be much more likely to stumble and fall‚ instead of fulfilling our commission to "be strong and do exploits." The Enemy also knows that if he can get us to doubt the Lord's Words and instructions now, and keep us from receiving the New Wine, not only will it hinder us greatly in the future dark days, but it will also prevent us from accomplishing the Lord's will now in our individual lives, in our Homes, and in our ministry to the lost.

9. So that is why the Devil is launching his forces to attack each of you in one of your most vital spots—your faith in the Word. Maybe you don't see it as an attack on your faith in the Word, because you feel like you still have faith in the Word; it's just some of this New Wine in prophecy that you're a little unsure of. But as the Lord and Dad explain in this GN, doubting the New Wine given through prophecy is just the first step toward doubting all of God's Word.

10. When you doubt the messages that the Lord gives now through prophecy, you are doubting the Word, because they are His Words. They are Him. He is the Word. So doubt and disbelief in the New Wine is a very serious inroad of the Enemy that can strike a deadly blow to your foundation of faith and your service for the Lord unless you stand up and actively resist it.

11. As the Lord explained in the messages included in the "Crisis of Faith" series, He has promised that if we put our will on His side when we're battling with doubts and take the first step of calling out to Him for deliverance, He will raise a standard against the Enemy. In this GN, the Lord has further encouragement for you who are battling such attacks. He tells you not to be discouraged, and promises that as you call out to Him in prayer, soak yourselves in His Word, and avail yourselves of the prayers of others, the Enemy will be defeated and you will be strengthened and delivered!

12. So if you're struggling, please don't be condemned or discouraged. Simply reach out and take the Lord's outstretched hand and let Him pull you up out of the pit into which the Enemy is trying to cast you through his subtle attacks of doubt and disbelief!

13. I'd like to start off this GN with a letter I recently wrote someone who was battling heavily with doubts about some of the prophecies in the GNs‚ as well as prophecies she or others had received personally. Her struggles were probably similar to those others of you have faced. She was also quite discouraged and disheartened‚ to the point that she had even thought of giving up and leaving the Family. She wrote me a precious letter in which she poured out her heart about these battles, sharing her doubts and fears with me.

17. Following is my response to this dear one, followed by a message the Lord gave when we prayed for her. I pray that it will be a blessing to any of you who are likewise struggling to some degree or another with questions and doubts about the prophecies in the GNs or the new revelations and directions the Lord has been pouring out.

Mama's Letter to Someone Struggling with Doubts About Prophecy

18. Dear one, I love you! Thank you so much for writing to Peter and me to share your heart. It's a beautiful heart‚ and we love you even more for sharing it with us. It makes us feel even closer to you.

19. I admire your forthrightness in opening up and being so honest with us about your trials and battles. It gives me faith that you will make it through these struggles, and in turn be a strength to others from what you've learned. You see‚ being honest about your weaknesses, fears, doubts, and outright attacks of the Devil is so important. It means you are being honest with yourself about your need for help, guidance, and encouragement. It means you can also then get the help and prayer you so desperately need to ward off these vicious attacks of the Enemy. You just have to be sure you share these things with the right people—your shepherds—which you have done faithfully over these past years, God bless you.

20. Dad said, "Battles never cease, and we will have to fight them till the day we die." I'm so glad you shared yours with us, as I was able to pray for you and ask the Lord if He could give you answers and comfort in your time of need. He gave a beautiful message, which I know will be of great help and comfort to you.

21. As you'll see in this prophecy, the Lord made it evident that the Devil is outright attacking you. He's trying to dissuade and discourage you so your testimony will not have the powerful effect it has had and is continuing to have on many who know of your fight and your convictions to follow the Lord no matter how rough the going may be.

22. I'm sorry that you're having some battles and doubts about prophecy. You're not alone. Others are being attacked on this front as well. We're all learning so much about prophecy. We're finding that it can be mysterious at times, and it takes faith on our part to believe and receive. But when we don't understand something that He reveals in prophecy, or something seems contradictory, the Lord continues to tell us to just ask Him again. I do this often when I'm not exactly sure what the Lord is saying or indicating that we should do. "For now we see through a glass darkly," and we just cannot understand all of God's mysteries with our finite minds. The answers and clarifications that the Lord then gives often amaze me and are so faith-building. Praise the Lord!

23. But in spite of the mystery surrounding prophecy‚ we are finding it to be one of the most beautiful and powerful gifts the Lord has put at our disposal to hear from Him and find His will. "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification‚ and exhortation, and comfort" (1Cor.14:1,3). Peter and I feel we would be greatly hindered in our spiritual oversight of this big Family without it.

24. We love you as a dear daughter, and pray for you often. Don't give up prematurely, Honey. You fought through to victory in the face of other fierce onslaughts of the Enemy, so don't let a few doubts and battles knock you off your course now. There is so much you do understand and fully comprehend that continues to draw you closer to the Lord and make you a strong missionary for His Kingdom. So ask the Lord to help you wrap in a bundle of faith the few things you don't yet understand, and keep forging ahead to win the world for Jesus.

25. The Lord, the Family and we need you! "The harvest is plenteous but the laborers so few." I believe you've got what it takes‚ as you have proven over and over again.

26. Peter and I and our Home will be continuing to pray for you. See how it helps to open up and share your need? You've now got our whole team on your side fighting with you. Thanks again for having the faith and humility to write and open your heart to reveal your battles and needs. We love you!

Love and prayers, Mama

Believe and Trust—Even If You Don't Understand!

27. (Jesus speaking: ) Not one thing that I have spoken will fail. All will be fulfilled and all will be answered according to My will, and according to My purpose. That which you do not understand today may be because it is not My time to fully reveal to you My complete plan and purpose. Only believe and trust, even though you do not understand. For My ways are not your ways, and you can never know the mind of God by trying to understand and analyze with your own fleshly mind. But I will reveal My thoughts and My ways by the power of My Spirit to those whom I choose, to those who are receptive and yielded and believing, who will receive My voice with faith and love and appreciation.

28. My Words are precious‚ they are priceless‚ they are eternal, and they are true! I give them freely to My children, to the children of David and to My Family who are willing to receive the treasures of Heaven with mouths and hearts wide open. There are few in the world today who are like unto the children of David, who have inherited the spirit of faith of their Father David‚ and the desire to do whatsoever pleases Me. They are truly pilgrims and strangers in this land, knowing that they are not accepted by the status quo and by the organized religious system. They remain strangers to the world‚ but followers of Me.

29. The children of David are true believers and they remain followers of My voice, which beckons and calls them supernaturally. They desire to follow My voice and My leading no matter what the cost, no matter where I lead, rather than adhere to the restrictions of the System. They yearn for My Spirit and long for My Words! They always look upward and tune in to My Spirit and My voice, which feeds and strengthens them.

30. They shun the ways of the world and worldly knowledge. They walk not with those who are puffed up with their own intellect, and those who spout off their own carnal reasoning. They eschew it, for they know where it leads—that it is the way of death, the way of bondage to System ideas. The children of David have rebelled against the hypocrisy of the System and its organized religion, and have chosen to follow their shepherd and to follow My voice. And so must each one continue to choose.

31. There will be tests and hurdles to overcome—not only for you, My dear one, but for each one in the Family. The tests and trials and difficulties do not come to you alone, but they come to each person. Each one faces times of great testing, difficult decisions, and strong trials. You are not alone, My love; this is simply one of your testing times. I know it's difficult, and the tests and trials run deep. You feel your faith shaken and that you may not be able to stand. But you are not alone, My love. The others around you, whom you feel are doing so much better than you, will also face tests and difficulties. For I love each of My children, and I care for each one, and train each one, and teach each one the lessons that are needed.

32. So worry not about the lessons that you are learning, and look not upon your brother or sister. Fear not, for I promise that if you hold on by faith—not even knowing if you have the strength to hold on—you shall not fail and you shall not fall, but you shall come out finer gold! For those who pass through the fire and through the Jordan and continue to keep their eye on the shore, those who have been through the deep waters and the hot flames of testing, are those who come out on the other side as finer gold. I test you now, My love‚ that all the dross and impurities may be melted away. Fear not the testing‚ for I purify you out of love, and I cleanse you in answer to your prayers.

33. You are not alone in your battle with doubts, for many face the same battle. The Enemy goes about seeking whom he may devour and defile and destroy, for his ultimate goal is to get you away from Me. His goal is to destroy your faith in Me and your love for Me, and to harm your childlike faith in any way he can. Thus he abuses you with his lies and doubts. He feeds you with his worries and fears in an attempt to make you run from Me and into the arms of the System. He torments you and causes confusion and pain! He tries to upset you in any way he can, for he is the Destroyer, the Tormentor, the Evil One. He is the source of all fear, worry, doubt, confusion, strife, and anguish of heart, mind and spirit.

34. He goes about amongst My children, seeking those whom he may devour and pollute, seeking to destroy their link with Me and to destroy My gift of prophecy unto My children. He seeks to destroy our connection one with another‚ for he knows that in the days to come, in the darker days ahead, My gift of prophecy will provide the strength, encouragement, and direction that My children need. For now I am teaching and training My children to hear My voice and to listen for My whispers‚ to practice in these days of peace and quiet, that they may learn to hear My voice and My guidance, and to discern My voice. Thus the Enemy attacks with great force to pull you away from Me, and to sow doubt and confusion!

35. But you must only believe, have faith, and do not look at the waves. You must only believe with simple, childlike faith, and continue to trust. Listen not to the voice of the Enemy! Reject his doubts and refuse to hear his lies! You must simply believe that what you hear is My voice—a supernatural working of My hand—and that it is My Spirit which speaks unto you. It is a gift of My Spirit, and I am teaching and training My Family in the use of this gift.

36. Do not fear if you do not understand it all, and if some of My Words are not clear to you. Do not doubt if things do not work out the way you thought they would. Do not doubt or worry if you feel you do not understand My full meaning, or if you wonder why I said something, or you feel you did not hear My voice but that it was your own. The things that are not clear to you, you can bring to Me again. Petition Me in prayer again, that I may speak to you and help you to understand. For not all situations can be made clear or be fully answered in one message, but in My love and wisdom I give unto you that which you need and that which you can receive.

37. I told Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh, but I repented of destroying them because of their repentance and Jonah's obedience. Jonah learned the value of obeying My voice through a difficult time of testing, and was closer to Me because of it.

38. You must saturate yourself with My Word, that it may fight for you and wash away the seeds of doubt that the Enemy has planted. You must soak in My Word and absorb it and live in it. The Enemy seeks to hold you down, but you can be free of all confusion, all darkness, and all doubt, for I have promised that the entrance of My Word gives light and understanding.

39. So prove Me now herewith! Take My Word into your bosom—absorb it‚ live on it‚ drink it in. Let it cleanse you and wash you and free you from the pain of the Enemy. Turn not into his hands and go not his way‚ but keep your face toward your shepherds, and toward Me. Set My Words before you. Post them on your walls. Set them by your bed. Carry them in your pocket. My Words are life and truth. Absorb them‚ listen to them, talk of them, think of them.

40. Have those in your Home pray for you and uphold you with their prayers, and fight for your healing. Fight to be freed from the pollution of the Enemy! It is not something that you have to do in your own strength; you simply must look to My Word. Read it prayerfully and carefully. Continue to ask Me for the strength and the help that you need, and I will not fail you.

41. My Word is powerful and is able! I am able to do that which none other can do. I am able to restore you and to give you peace of mind. I am more than able. You must just continue to trust and hold on to Me. Do not analyze; do not worry or fear. Just hold My hand, rest in My bosom, and I will sustain you. Rest on My Word and it will keep you. Think on My Words and they will cleanse you from all fears and doubts and afflictions of the Enemy.

42. Dig into My Word, old and new. Dig into the treasures and do not let the Enemy rob you of the truth. Do not let him steal your place in My Family, and do not let him steal you from My arms. Let not the Enemy take away your connection with Me and rob you of the blessings and strength and faith that only I can give. I am able to give you the peace‚ comfort and strength that you need, and freedom from fear, worry and doubt. Only I am the source of peace, for I am Peace, and I am Love.

43. You must simply come to Me and rest completely upon My Spirit and upon My Words. I simply ask that you come; that you call upon Me and let Me work within you. Let My Words work within you, and let My Words give you strength and faith. For no one else and none other can give faith—it is in My Word and My Word only. In My Word lies everything! My Word is the source and supply of all your needs. (End of message from Jesus)

Why the Enemy Attacks Our Faith in Prophecy

44. (Mama:) The Lord clearly exposes the real reason and ultimate goal behind the Enemy's attacks of doubts regarding the prophecies in the GNs: It is to destroy your faith in the Lord! And once your faith in the Lord is gone, there's not that much that you can do for Him, since it all takes faith. Our whole life is a life of faith, and when the Enemy gets you to doubt, he is striking at the foundation of your life as a Christian. So it's serious business‚ and not something to be taken lightly!

45. But the Lord also has a lot of encouraging words for you who are battling with doubts. He tells you that you shouldn't be discouraged‚ but that He often allows these attacks to test you and to try your faith, and that as you continue fighting and praying and yielding to Him, He will bring you through to victory. We have to learn to ward off these attacks of the Enemy now, because he's going to be fighting us even harder in the darker days ahead, so the Lord uses these battles to strengthen our faith and conviction.

46. So don't despair! Don't feel like you're a failure and washed up because you're battling with doubts, but cry out to the Lord and ask Him and others for help—and He will! He promises, "My Word is powerful and is able! I am able to do that which none other can do. I am able to restore you and to give you peace of mind."

47. The Lord does‚ however‚ give a few conditions to victory: One of these is soaking in His Word, both new and old. Faith is the antidote to doubt, and faith comes by hearing the Word. So let the Word wash away the doubts and replace them with faith and trust. Think on the Word continually. The Lord says‚ "Set My Words before you. Post them on your walls. Set them by your bed. Carry them in your pocket." As I mentioned in "Crisis of Faith," when you're battling with doubts, you need to take extra time in the Word and use every available moment to read, think and ponder on it.

48. Of course, reading the Word won't do you any good if you don't receive it. In the above prophecy, the Lord says, "I simply ask that you come; that you call upon Me and let Me work within you. Let My Words work within you, and let My Words give you strength and faith." But for them to work in you, you have to have an open heart. Just tell yourself that you're going to believe His Words no matter what, and tell the Lord, just like the man in the Bible‚ "I believe; help Thou mine unbelief!" (Mk.9:24). If you take that one step, the Lord can blow upon the embers of your faith that have almost gone out, and bring them back to life again as a fire that the Enemy cannot quench!

49. The Lord also says that you need the prayers of others. So confess your need and battles to others, and ask them to pray for you. During the times when you're really battling, ask those in the Home to pray for you daily during their prayer vigils or private prayer times. Don't be afraid to ask for prayer, thinking that you'll be looked down on by the others in your Home for having such problems. "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man," and as the Lord indicated in the above message, there are many others who have faced or are facing similar battles, or will yet. So you're not the only one, and you don't need to feel like you're worse off or more unspiritual than others. The Enemy will fight you asking for prayer, because the prayers of those in your Home will be very effective in breaking the hold that doubts have on you‚ so that your heart can open and the Word that you're drinking in can take root in your life and bear fruit—faith!

50. In saying that you should believe and receive the New Wine‚ I don't mean that you have to understand everything that the Lord gives. If you don't understand something, maybe you don't need to understand it right then. Dad didn't understand some of the things that the Lord gave him, and I don't always understand everything the Lord gives me. But what I don't understand, I either ask the Lord for further clarification on, if necessary, or I wrap it up in a bundle of faith and put it on the shelf, trusting that He'll make it clear in His time.

51. So if you have a hard time accepting something and it just seems to go down sideways, or you just don't understand what the Lord is saying or why He's saying it, then ask Him to speak to you and make it clear. Or, if you don't need to know now, then just wrap it up in a bundle of faith and trust that the Lord will reveal it to you in His time‚ when you'll need it.

52. There's a difference between setting something aside in faith, trusting that the Lord will make it clear to you in His time‚ at which time you can fully embrace and accept it, and outright rejecting it and refusing to believe it, or doubting that what is being given is of the Lord. The Lord doesn't condemn us if we have difficulties understanding or receiving something, as long as we're not rejecting it, but we want to believe and receive. When we have a hard time understanding something, He encourages us to come to Him for clarification or answers that will make it easier for us to receive and accept what He is saying.

53. In the above prophecy, the Lord says‚ "The things that are not clear to you, you can bring to Me again, and petition Me in prayer again, that I may speak to you and help you to understand." Sometimes the Lord purposely doesn't give us the full picture the first time around‚ so that we'll continue to seek Him for more answers. If He gave us everything in one shot, we might not stop to pray and hear from Him further. But if He just gives us a little bit‚ only enough for the next step, then we have to keep going back to Him for more answers, and this keeps us close to Him and less likely to go astray or to lean to our own understanding.

Continue to Choose to Accept and Believe!

54. One other point in the above message from Jesus which I would like to highlight is where He says, "The children of David have rebelled against the hypocrisy of the System and its organized religion, and have chosen to follow their shepherd and to follow My voice. And so must each one continue to choose."

55. You can't just choose to believe once and for all and that's it. You have to continue choosing to believe and receive each new prophecy, each new Letter, each new revelation, each new direction the Lord leads. The Lord keeps testing our faith to see if we'll keep choosing Him no matter what. He loves it when we make the right choice and keep following Him‚ even when it's a little tough or we don't exactly understand it all with our minds.

56. You can't get lethargic in the Spirit and think, "I've chosen once to believe the Lord's Words as given through Dad and Mama and the Letters, so I can just relax now." With each new Letter, each new message from the Lord, you've got to again make a conscious decision that you're going to receive what the Lord has to say, and open your heart to it so that it can take root in your life. The Lord loves it when you continue to choose to believe Him and His Words, as it's a demonstration of your faith in Him.

57. As long as we continue choosing to believe and receive‚ He'll keep pouring it out. He says‚ "I give them [My Words] freely to My children, to the children of David and to My Family who are willing to receive the treasures of Heaven with mouths and hearts wide open. There are few in the world today who are like unto the children of David, who have inherited the spirit of faith of their Father David, and the desire to do whatsoever pleases Me." What a beautiful statement here, that the Lord says we have inherited the spirit of faith of our Father David! Isn't that encouraging? Dad sure had a lot of faith, so if the Lord says that you've inherited that spirit of faith, that means you have a lot of faith, too—you just need to keep exercising it by continuing to choose to accept and believe what the Lord pours out, especially what He or Dad give us directly through prophecy!

Why the Lord Pours Out Through Prophecy

58. I recently asked the Lord to shed more light on the subject of doubting the messages that He gives through prophecy which are published in the GNs. I knew that such doubts have dire consequences for one's spiritual life and connection with the Lord, as He had already indicated in the "Crisis of Faith" GNs. However, I asked if He could explain specifically the process by which someone who begins to doubt prophecy eventually loses faith entirely. Both the Lord and Dad spoke, and besides reaffirming that what is being given in prophecy in the GNs is of the Lord and not of ourselves, they also clearly spelled out the dangers of doubting the Words that the Lord pours out from the spirit world, and how much it hurts Him when we don't believe that what He has to tell us is from Him.

59. (Jesus speaking: ) I am the God of the Universe, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End! I am Truth and Life! I have in My power to give My Words to whom I will. I have chosen and anointed My servants, Maria and Peter‚ to be My mouthpieces and My voices of the Endtime. They are My Servant King and Queen, the King and Queen of Prophecy who hunger and suck and receive as none have before!

60. Because of their great vacuum, I am able to pour forth in enormous abundance unto the children of David. That which they pour forth is not of themselves, but it is of Me. I know the needs of My children and the grave circumstances and enormous challenges that they will face in the future as My Endtime army and My voice for the truth, so I have chosen to speak to My children directly, personally, and in great abundance.

61. As rushing waters I pour forth My Words—My heart and mind and soul—unto My children, the children of David. I have anointed Queen Maria and King Peter to channel these Words, to direct these Words, to manage the flow of these Words. And so they pour out and pour out and pour out in great abundance as I pour forth unto them.

62. These are My Words. The king and queen speak not of themselves, but they speak as they hear My voice. They are faithful deliverers of My Word. They have cast themselves upon Me in great desperation and they lean wholly upon Me. They do not look to their own understanding. They do not look to the ways of man, nor do they seek the approval of man, nor care for his opinions, but they seek only to please Me and obey Me. Therefore are they true, pure vessels to pour forth and manage the flow of My Words.

63. They are the anointed caretakers of My Words. They speak as I speak unto them‚ and they pour forth that which I give unto them to pour forth. I will keep them from mistakes, from their own thoughts, from wrong decisions. I will keep them from misleading My children, because I keep their hearts and minds in My hand. I know the desire of their hearts is to please Me. Their yieldedness and their desperation is their protection against mistakes and wrong decisions. Their wholehearted dedication to Me, their being married to Me and devoted to Me above all others‚ is their guarantee that I will lead them in the right paths.

64. They are merely human, merely a man and a woman, and they are not without faults. They are not perfect; they have their shortcomings and their weaknesses. But when I put My Words in their mouths and in their hands for My children, they become My vessels‚ My mouthpieces‚ and their hands become My hands. Their mouths and tongues become Mine, and their thoughts are as My thoughts. They are mere puppets in My hands, tools that I use to speak forth My Words.

65. Think not that their giving forth of much direct prophecy is a thought and idea that has come from themselves. Think not that this is merely for convenience or only so that they might more easily or more quickly pour forth the Words. These Words are My Words. They are My voice. They are Me speaking to you, just as I spoke to My early disciples.

66. I have chosen to speak to you directly because I know what you need. I know what you will face in the days that are to come. And so in great mercy and patience and understanding I have chosen to put My lips to yours, My mouth to yours, My tongue to yours, and to feed you directly and personally.

67. (Mama:) The prophecies that we publish for the Family are not Peter's and my own words, thoughts or ideas! Sometimes we're just as surprised as you are at what the Lord gives, but we just pour it out anyway, because we know it's from Him! He's confirmed time and again that these Words are He Himself speaking to us; or when Dad speaks, it is Dad himself speaking to us—just like he said he would while he was still with us in the flesh!

68. The Lord has encouraged Peter and me and those in our Home whom the Lord speaks through that there are "no leaks," that our channels are clean and are pouring forth His Words unobstructed. Why? Is it because Peter or the others that I have asked or appointed to receive the Lord's Words in prophecy are better than anybody else? No, it's because we're desperate and yielded. The Lord explained it above when He said, "They have cast themselves upon Me in great desperation and they lean wholly upon Me. They do not look to their own understanding. They do not look to the ways of man‚ nor do they seek the approval of man, nor care for his opinions, but they seek only to please Me and obey Me. Therefore are they true, pure vessels to pour forth and manage the flow of My Words."

69. You can receive the Lord's direct Words just as easily and purely when you're desperate and yielded—and many of you have been receiving them! I've been thrilled to hear how many of you are exercising your personal gift of prophecy and getting your instructions from the Lord that way‚ and what a difference it's made in your lives. Praise the Lord!

70. Of course, Peter and I aren't perfect—the Lord even says so Himself—and neither are our staff members whom the Lord also speaks through. Nevertheless, when it comes to delivering the Lord's Words to the Family, the Lord says that He keeps us from making any major mistakes and wrong decisions because of our yieldedness and desperation. And let me tell you, Peter and I are desperate! We want to make sure that what we are feeding you is what you need and what the Lord wants to tell you, and the way He wants it to be delivered. We seek Him over and over for more instructions and confirmations and explanations to make sure that we're doing it just the way He wants us to. We know that it's imperative that we, as your shepherds, stay right behind our Good Shepherd, so that the rest of you can follow where He leads and be fed and strengthened at His hand.

The Dangers of Doubting Prophecy

71. (Message from Jesus continues:) Take it not lightly when you mock My Words, when you are skeptical and bored, when you think that they are mere figments of somebody's imagination, and you broadcast to others your opinion that they are only the thoughts of man, and that they are not necessary or crucial to the running of the Kingdom or to your own well-being.

72. Take heed and beware if you think such thoughts, for it is as if I were knocking at the door of your bedroom asking to come in, to love you and speak with you and answer your questions and provide your every need and give you the love, joy and satisfaction that you so desperately desire, and yet you shut the door in My face. You laugh and mock and say, "Oh, it's not really Jesus. He's not really here. He has not come to love us and speak to us and help us. It is merely an impostor. Let us shut and lock the door."

73. My heart breaks when I have so much to give and you are in need of so much, yet you cannot receive it because you doubt the channel‚ the presentation. You resist and refuse to accept anything new. You prefer the old‚ and therefore I am not able to get through to you. You shut the door in My face when My mouth is watering to kiss you, and I am overcome with desire to be intimate with you, to speak to your heart one on one as your Lover, your most intimate Friend and Companion, your eternal Soul-mate and Husband. And yet you will not receive Me. You cannot see that it is I.

74. When you refuse to hear this or that or the other because you doubt it for some reason, you are only hurting yourself. I will continue to pour out My truth in the manner which I have chosen. I will speak through My chosen channels. I will give My Words through your Father David and through your spirit helpers. Nothing will stop the flow of My Words. If you doubt the channel, or the message, or the delivery, or the presentation, or the abundance of the Words that I pour forth, you will only hurt yourself. For each time you doubt and resist, you close off your own personal channel to receiving My Words and hearing from Me. Each time you doubt and resist, your own receptivity is lessened and you become more and more limited in hearing My Words, either through My chosen channel, the king and queen, or through My Own still, small voice speaking to your heart.

75. If you doubt in one area, if you doubt that I can speak through the faucet or through the king and queen's chosen channels‚ if you doubt that Queen Maria is the winetaster and anointed of Me to judge the Words that are given unto her, or if you doubt that your Father David is able to speak from beyond the veil‚ or if you doubt that there is a host of Heavenly helpers ready and willing and able to speak and instruct and give messages from the other side, any of these doubts will weaken your receptivity.

76. These doubts will start off as tiny seeds, but they will grow and grow until the roots thereof will hinder your hearing from Me. They will bring confusion‚ and where once you doubted just one little thing, you will soon find that then you also doubt this, that, and the other. You will find that there is no place to draw the line. Once you have resigned yourself to doubting in one thing‚ you will soon begin to doubt in another, and yet another, and another. Then you will tell yourself, "If this thing be wrong, then why isn't this thing and that thing and the other also wrong?"

77. You think you are doubting one point of information, one angle of revelation, one tiny part of the whole, but you must understand that the message that the queen, My chosen winetaster, and her appointed prophets, give, is not separate from Me Who gives the message. This is one and the same. So if you feel that the message given is wrong, that it is a lie, then you are also saying the queen, My chosen winetaster‚ and I, the One Who gives the message, are wrong.

78. The Enemy of your soul seeks to weaken and ultimately destroy you. His greatest weapon, his secret weapon‚ his most hidden weapon of today is his outright attack on prophecy. He has at last found a way that he can subtly attack My Word and get you to doubt it and even doubt Me, without your even realizing it.

79. There are those who have put My Word in categories. There are those Words that they would never think to criticize or doubt or scrutinize, but they accept them readily and quickly by faith, such as My Words in the Bible and the Words that I gave unto Father David. My people also respect and receive and honor the Words of Queen Maria, those that come from her heart and her understanding. But these same people put My Words of prophecy in a category by itself, and they feel that such Words of prophecy can afford to be criticized and scrutinized and weighed in the balances. They feel that they can choose to believe and receive them or not, and that disbelief and rejection are not such big offenses because they are "merely the words of prophecy." But to doubt them is to doubt Me and My heart and My voice and My way.

80. It is the Enemy who seeks to sow these seeds of doubt, for he knows that if he can do so, he can succeed in robbing you of great treasures—the instruction, guidance and Word from My mouth that you need for these Last Days. Therefore, take heed to the Enemy's attacks and be not ignorant of his devices.

81. (Mama:) Wow, this is a heavy message, isn't it? Into what mighty oaks do tiny acorns grow, as the saying goes, and so it is with these so-called tiny seeds of doubt about prophecy. It's dangerous business and can end up destroying your faith in the Lord and all of His Word. If you don't believe that the prophecies which I put in the GNs are from the Lord, then pretty soon you won't believe that the words I tell you in the GNs are from the Lord either, since I believe in the prophecies. After all‚ how could I be so wrong about the prophecies and yet right about other things?

82. Then if you don't believe in what I say, you'll end up not believing in what Dad said‚ because he said that I would have his mantle and anointing, and would carry on as the Lord's anointed prophetess. So if you believe he was wrong about that, then how could he be right about everything else he said? Then if you don't believe what Dad wrote, how can you believe what the Bible says, since Dad's writings and life were all based on the Bible? So it's a chain reaction that is at first subtle and slow, but can eventually destroy your faith and convictions, or water them down so much that you no longer pose a threat of any kind to the Enemy.

83. When you doubt the Lord's Words in prophecy, the Lord says it's as if you're shutting the door in His face when He's trying to come in and talk to you and spend time with you and make love to you. What a convicting word picture! Imagine if Jesus came to your Home and said that He wanted to spend some intimate talk time with you‚ and that He had some very special and precious things to tell you personally. But then when the time came, you shut the door in His face, saying that it wasn't really Him, but just an impostor who looked like Him! Imagine how sad that would make the Lord—and how sad you would be in the long run, because you'd have missed out on the beautiful Words of love and instruction the Lord wanted to give you!

84. Beloved‚ these messages the Lord gives that are published in the Letters are not just general messages for the world or even the whole Family—they are for you personally‚ individually. It's as if the Lord were sitting there with you speaking to you personally, looking into your eyes and giving you these messages Himself, one on one. It's a personal message from Him to you! And if you feel the messages from Jesus and Dad in the Letters aren't personal enough for you and your situation, then you can hear from the Lord or from Dad directly. How much more personal can you get than that?

85. I'm reminded of the humorous comment Dad made in one of the early Letters when some people complained that he wasn't answering them personally, but just through the Letters. He wrote: "How personal is personal? And how personal can I get? I love you! Is that personal enough? What do you want me to do?—Climb in the envelope with it, and come home and read it to you personally, before you'll believe it is personal? Now I hope you don't get offended at this, or take it too personally, but I want to assure you that this is not an impersonation, but that I am the person who is personally personalizing and personifying the personification of the personality of these personals to you—in person! 'Be not afraid; it is I'" (ML #24:26,27). Maybe that's how the Lord feels when you doubt the Words that He gives through the prophecies published in the GNs. What do you want Him to do—appear in the flesh and read it to you Himself before you'll believe it's Him?

86. Of course, you can hear from the Lord and Dad personally yourself‚ in addition to the messages that they give for the entire Family in the Letters. But if you're doubting the messages that the Lord gives in prophecy for the Family as published in the Letters, then you'll eventually lose faith in the messages that the Lord gives you personally, and you'll lose your individual connection with Him.

87. The Lord warns that each time you doubt and resist, you close off your own personal channel to the Lord's Words, and your own receptivity and ability to hear clearly from Him in prophecy is lessened. You become more and more limited in hearing the Lord's Words—both those in the Letters and those He speaks to you personally, either in prophecy or His still, small voice in your heart. And that, folks‚ is serious‚ because you're cutting yourself off from Him!

88. The Lord says that you can't separate the message from the messenger. You can't say that you believe in the messenger, but then reject and doubt His message. So in getting you to doubt prophecy and reject the way in which the Lord is pouring out the New Wine, the Enemy is trying to ultimately destroy your faith in the Lord's voice, and cut off contact with Him altogether.

89. Dad said in "Old Bottles" that if you lose your personal connection with the Lord, at least you still have the prophet and the messages he's passing on. Your individual receiver may be turned off, but the Lord is still broadcasting and pouring out His messages through His prophet. But if you lose contact with both the prophet (through doubt and rejection) and with the Lord (through your own personal channel being clogged because of your rejection of the Word of prophecy from the prophet), then there's nothing left! You're not getting anything from the Lord's channels, so all you have is the Enemy's messages, and your own carnal understanding—which isn't any better! The Bible tells us that we should not lean to our own understanding‚ and that "to be carnally minded is death" (Rom.8:6). So what started out as a little doubt and feeling like, "I don't have to believe this; it's just a prophecy someone got, and it's not really the Lord," can eventually cost you your spiritual life!

90. Some people feel that it's okay to just doubt a little; to just disbelieve this particular prophecy in this particular GN that they're having a hard time with; to just reject this particular bottle of New Wine‚ while still believing the rest of what the Lord has to say. In answer to that, I'm reminded of something Dad had to say regarding negative thinking. I hope you don't mind, but I'll paraphrase the first part a bit to apply to doubts instead, as the principle is the same:

91. "That's what the Devil will try to tell you: It doesn't hurt to just doubt a little, to just disregard that particular Letter or prophecy! After all‚ you deserve to be able to reason it out in your carnal mind just a little rather than just having to follow completely by faith! Why not? ... Listen‚ brother‚ the minute you start listening to the Devil, you're done for, because there's no end to it, no stopping place! He'll never quit! He'll never quit until he's got you completely down at the bottom‚ totally and utterly out of the victory, a terrible reproach to the cause and a curse to others and everybody else around you!" (ML #33:12,13).

92. You may think that doubting one prophecy isn't that big a deal, but it's an open door for the Enemy to get in and sow his seeds. Once you've opened it just a crack, it's much more difficult to get him out than if you had never opened it in the first place. It's like having a thief or robber outside the door of your apartment who's trying to get in. If you keep the door closed, there's not much he can do but break it down. But if you open it just a crack, he can get his hand or foot in, and then it's a real struggle to get it shut again. If you're not careful, he can overpower you, push the door wide open and come right in.

93. Little doubts lead to bigger doubts, so attack them when they're still small! Call out to the Lord, ask for prayer‚ soak in the Word and stand your ground! Don't let the Enemy rob you of your connection with the Lord. That's his ultimate goal! In closing yourself off to the Lord's voice in the Letters‚ you'll also be closing yourself off little by little to the Lord's voice in your own heart and hearing from Him yourself in prophecy or by the checks of His Spirit, until pretty soon you've lost the connection entirely and become a brittle old bottle!

94. When we received the above message from the Lord about the dangers of doubting prophecy, Dad also gave a talk on the subject, which I'll include below. It's wonderful to have Dad still speaking to us and leading us from up There, and in fact, pouring out even more now than he did in his last years with us on Earth!

It Comes Down to a Matter of Faith!

95. (Dad speaking:) Honey, I think the way the Lord is working through you and Peter and your channels is absolutely marvelous! My, if you didn't have prophecy, if you didn't stop to get quiet and hear from the Lord, how would I ever be able to punch through and continue to lead and guide you and give the messages that I need to give to the Family? It's sad that some people don't believe it's really me speaking when you receive prophecies and messages from me from beyond. Maybe they think people are just making it up. Maybe they just think it's people's thoughts or what they think I'd say.

96. I'm sad for the people who feel that way‚ because they miss out on everything I'd like to tell them. They miss out on all these exciting MO Letters, these exciting talks that I get to give from the Heavenly realm. And they miss out on how you and I are still working together‚ Honey! —How I'm still leading and guiding the Revolution from over Here.

97. I promised that I would do that, didn't I?—That I would still be speaking to your heart. Didn't I say time and time again in the Letters when I was with you there on Earth that I wouldn't leave you, Honey, but that I would continue to speak to you and to lead and guide you? Well, of course at that time you didn't realize that the way this would be accomplished would be through prophecy and through my being able to speak directly through open channels.

98. When I was still with you‚ we probably felt that I would be speaking to your heart and you would be speaking my words, and that's probably what the Family imagined would happen also. But it's just one of those situations where we saw through a glass darkly, but now we know! And isn't this so much better‚ so much more effective? I can give exactly the message I want to give‚ and I can give it abundantly and frequently. I can speak not only to you, but I can speak to many Family members and Homes. As they sit still before the Lord and come before Him for instruction, not only do they hear from Him and from their spirit helpers, but I get a chance to instruct them as well.

99. It's obvious how much better it is that I can speak to you and to the Family directly through open channels‚ through prophecy. And for those who don't believe it's me, well, I'm sorry. That's their loss. But I'm going to keep speaking and I'm going to keep writing MO Letters from this side, and I'm going to keep leading the Family through prophecy. So they'd better get used to it, because I'm here to stay! And I'm happy about that! And I know you and Peter are too, Honey!

100. It's a sad thing, but some people just aren't walking much in the fear of the Lord when it comes to prophecy. They're not respecting it and reverencing it like they should. They're not looking at it as the pure Word of God like they should. I know in the early days of the Family, a lot of the Letters we published were prophecy from the Lord and messages from Abrahim, and people looked upon those Words very respectfully. They were in awe, and they honored the Words. They saw them as something miraculous, something great, something supernatural.

101. Well, I don't know what happened to people and why they started looking at it so in the flesh, and why they started doubting. Maybe it's just because they're old bottles and they're resistant to change and they like it the way it was. They don't like the new way the Lord is moving and speaking. But that's just too bad, because that's the way the Lord is doing it, and that's the way the Lord is going to continue to do it—at least for now, and probably for a long while. Because look how effective it is, how efficient‚ how much you're able to publish and how much you're able to get from the Lord.

102. No wonder He has chosen to speak to His children this way! And instead of it being more difficult for them to receive the message‚ it should be easier for them to receive the message, because it's the clear, pure waters from God. But I guess some people just have a mental block. They have their minds made up that they're not going to like it, that they're not going to believe it, that they want things the way they were, so they just can't receive it. They're closed. They're like hard, dry ground that won't receive the water. They're like corked bottles that won't receive the New Wine.

103. So what can I say, Honey?—Except that I'm thankful the Lord is pouring forth through prophecy, because I know how much He has to say. I know how much needs to be said, not only to the Family but to the lost. That's why the Lord Himself is speaking through open channels, and He is allowing me to speak, as well as multitudes of Heavenly helpers. He's even allowing the departed spirits to speak for the Celestial Interviews, because there's so much to be said! There is so much that people need to hear! He's pouring forth through as many channels as He can find, those who are available and willing and worthy to pour forth His message.

104. Of course, those who speak for the Celestial Interviews are not your Heavenly helpers. They're not the ones who are called and chosen and trained to help you, Honey, and our Family in their spiritual warfare for the Lord. Those who speak in the Celestial Interviews are only allowed a special dispensation of grace in order to get a message across, a unique, specific message that they have to give to the lost. So they have their unique place in communicating messages from this side. They have a special calling, and limited influence and access to the channels. They are mostly witnessing to the lost and giving their personal testimonies to the lost; that's their ministry. They're on a different level from me and the Heavenly helpers who speak to you and lead and guide you in spiritual matters and the affairs of the Kingdom.

105. All of this massive outpouring of the message is part of the Lord's plan. He is the One Who controls the flow. He is the One Who gives permission to different ones to speak. He is the One Who is in control. He is the One Who orchestrates the great symphony, Who manages the troops, Who organizes and approves the pouring forth of the message. It's all in His hands; it's under His direction and control.

106. It just comes down to a matter of faith, Honey! The kids have got to have faith. They've got to have faith that I prepared you and Peter, and trained you to run the Family after I was gone. They have to have faith that you are wearing my mantle. They have to have faith that you and Peter are His anointed shepherds and leaders of the Family. They have to have faith that you are the Endtime Prophetess‚ that Peter is the Lord's faucet, and that you are the winetaster. They have to have faith that since you‚ Mama, have faith in your channels and you believe that they hear from the Lord and that they're good, reliable, clear, pure channels, then they are just that.

107. They have to have faith if the Lord leads you to hear from departed spirits, to get messages from beyond, either counsel for the Family from Heavenly helpers, or a message for outsiders from the departed spirits. It's all a matter of faith. How can they believe in you on one side and doubt you on the other?

108. The Lord has promised to lead and guide and anoint you. He has promised to direct your decisions and establish your thoughts. He has promised that He would not lie to you, but that He would lead you in the path that you should go, as a faithful true shepherdess and prophetess.

109. So if the Family is going to believe in these promises concerning you, Honey, they're going to have to believe across the board. Because once you start doubting one point, it's just the beginning, and pretty soon you'll be doubting another and another and another. And when they doubt your words, Honey‚ or the words of Peter or your channels, they're doubting you. And when they doubt you, they're doubting me and the promises I made and that I'm still making concerning the Lord's anointing on you. And when they doubt me, they're also doubting the promises that the Lord gave to me when He called me to lead the Family as your prophet‚ king‚ and father.

110. And in all of these doubts, Honey, they're ultimately doubting the Lord, because He's the One Who ordained this whole plan and set it in motion. So while they think they're just doubting a little prophecy here and there‚ and it's not very important and it won't amount to much, what the Enemy is trying to get them to do in the end is to doubt you and me and the Lord. Because when they doubt the Lord's Words in one area, it won't be long until they're doubting in another and another. It's a chain reaction, because where do they draw the line?

111. They're just as good as saying that God is a liar, that His promises are not true, and that His plan has failed. If that's the way they feel, then they might as well just quit, because they've got to have faith. Without faith, they're lost! Without faith, the Words are empty and meaningless—whether they be the Words of the Bible, my Words in the MO Letters, your Words, Honey‚ or the Words of the prophecies. Without faith they're all meaningless.

112. This attack of the Enemy on prophecy is a vicious, serious attack. He is trying to weaken the Family by shaking the very foundations of their faith, and he is going about it very subtly, very slyly. So it's good and needful and urgent that you expose this attack of the Enemy. Those who are sincere and who have great love for me and you and the Lord will see and receive these Words‚ and it will set them free and set them on the path to be strengthened. So expose these attacks of the Enemy, Honey, while there's still time.

113. (Mama:) Praise the Lord! That's what I'm trying to do with this Letter—expose this attack of the Enemy for what it is, and sound the alarm as to what dangerous depths doubting the messages the Lord and Dad give through prophecy can lead to! Don't let the Enemy shake the foundation of your faith! Resist him, cling to the Lord and His Word, and call out to Him for the faith you need! And again, the way to get that faith is by soaking in the Word. As Dad said in one of his very first Letters, "Faith is something that is built by faithful study of God's Word. Faith comes—it grows by hearing the Word of God. It's not a sudden boom" (ML #M:9).

The Difference Between Applying Prophecy and Rejecting Prophecy

114. (Message from Dad continues:) Of course, they need to understand that there are different types of prophecy, Honey. Some prophecy is divine revelation concerning spiritual matters or direction [for the Family] or Endtime events. Those messages the Lord expects His children to receive by faith‚ wholeheartedly, whether they understand them or not, trusting that with time they will become clearer.

115. But there are other kinds of prophecy, for encouragement and instruction in practical matters and in personal matters, where the Lord gives people a little leeway‚ and they can apply or not apply the prophecies as they fit their situation. But there is a big difference between not applying a prophecy and not believing a prophecy. There is a big difference between trying to see how the Words from the Lord fit your situation and how you can live them and use them and put them into practice, and downright rejecting, denying and doubting the Words from the Lord.

116. When it comes to such prophecies, people do need and should be given flexibility. They don't need to get bound by the letter of the law and restricted, thinking they have to apply every single prophecy in the GN directly and rigidly to their situation. There must be some flexibility, some openness for them to be led of the Spirit according to their faith.

117. There is nothing wrong with this; this is being Spirit–led. This is applying prophecy. This is not doubting or being skeptical or mocking or criticizing prophecy. There's a big difference, and the Family needs to understand and know that difference so they can learn to rightly divide the Word and apply it and make it work in their situation without being bound and locked into the letter of the law, trying to apply God's Word in a black-and-white, inflexible, unloving manner.

118. That's where there's room for personal preference, personal choice‚ and being led of the Spirit according to your situation and circumstances. And there is nothing wrong with that. But when you reject prophecy‚ doubt it, speak against it, mock it‚ and doubt the channels, and spread your doubts and thoughts to others, trying to get them to think the same way, this is wrong and this is dangerous.

119. So‚ Honey, you need to help people and teach people and show them the difference‚ and do all you can to defeat this attack of the Enemy. Don't worry, Honey. Many of our children believe the prophecies and love them, and they're starting to get used to reading prophecy and getting fed from it. But there are also quite a few who are still confused and who are being attacked by the Enemy, and they need to be strengthened. (End of message from Dad.)

120. (Mama:) Sometimes the Lord gives general counsel or guidelines on a subject, and expects us to seek Him personally for the details on how to implement and apply it to our own individual situations. This is the way Dad worked, too. He would pass on the general counsel from the Lord, and expected us to "rightly divide the Word of truth" and seek the Lord on how He wanted us to apply it. But as Dad points out, there's a difference between questioning the Lord about how to apply what He's given in the Letters for you personally, and rejecting it altogether.

123. So don't be too rigid about following the prophecies in the GNs in a legalistic, letter-of-the-law manner. But if you do feel that the Lord wants you to apply something He says in the GNs somewhat differently in your situation, you'd better first check with Him and make sure that that's really what He wants you to do! It may be, but you won't know for sure unless you ask Him. Get a confirmation through prophecy from others, too, if you can!

124. Another situation where the Lord would expect you to prayerfully apply the prophecies in the GNs would be in cases where He presents various options for you to choose from. Such prophecies often affect the practical matters of our lives, such as "Our Children's Education" (GN 694) and "Man Looketh on the Outward Appearance," parts 1 and 2 (GNs 735 and 736). Many times Peter and I ask the Lord to cover many different situations or scenarios in the GNs in order to give you the most well-rounded counsel possible. But after reading that counsel, it's up to you to go to the Lord and ask Him how it applies to your lives.

125. There's also a difference between outright doubting and rejecting what the Lord has to say, or demeaning it by thinking or saying that, "It's not really the Lord, it's just a prophecy someone got," and having a battle implementing what the Lord tells you to do. Dad sometimes had a hard time doing what the Lord told him to do. I have sometimes battled with doing what the Lord has asked Peter and me to do, but we've gone ahead and tried to do it anyway.

126. Just because we battled doesn't mean that we were doubting that it was the Lord speaking. When Moses had a trial about going to Egypt and facing Pharaoh, it wasn't because he didn't believe that the voice speaking to him from the burning bush was the Lord‚ but because he knew how difficult it would be and he felt very incapable of performing the task.

127. So if you're having a battle about believing or doing what the Lord is saying, don't let the Enemy condemn you and tell you that you're just full of doubts and you might as well quit because you'll never make it! If you have your will on the Lord's side and you want to believe and obey, then the Lord will give you the strength to do so. The important thing is to surrender your will to the Lord and yield to Him.

128. I'm not saying that it will be easy for you to accept every single message that the Lord or Dad gives through prophecy, because sometimes the wine is pretty strong and pretty new! Have you ever tasted new wine before? The taste is pretty strong and even a bit bitter compared to the aged wine. Sometimes the Lord's New Wine is a bit strong and difficult to swallow. The important thing is that you want to believe it and get it down, and you keep trying to drink it, until you finally get used to the taste, and pretty soon you start enjoying it! You don't just spit it out and throw away the bottle and swallow the Enemy's lie when he tells you, "This isn't really wine, it's just vinegar with a wine label on it."

129. The Lord doesn't condemn us if we have an initial battle receiving or obeying what He has to say, as long as we're trying and facing the right direction. He's very patient with us, and if He sees that we want to follow, He'll keep gentling us along. It's the rejection and doubting the source or the veracity of His Word that He despises.

130. When you doubt and reject, then you are in a sense tying the Lord's hands, and He can no longer help you. You're turning your back on Him by doubting that His Words are truly from Him‚ and since you won't listen to what He has already said, how can He give you any further counsel or instructions? Thus begins a downward spiral of more and more doubt, leading you further and further away from the Lord. It can only be reversed if you call out to the Lord and ask Him to deliver you, and put your will on His side so that He can help pull you back up!

131. While reading over an advance copy of this GN, one of our proofreaders had a question about Dad's comments in the preceding prophecy that the Family should wholeheartedly believe the prophecies that the Lord pours forth in the GNs, whether they understand them completely or not. They wondered how this would apply to prophecies that are not fundamental Family beliefs. For example, if someone doesn't personally accept or practice the "Loving Jesus" revelation, which is not a fundamental Family belief or a requirement for DO status under the Charter, are they then doubting the Word?

132. I touched on this in the above paragraphs‚ but I thought that you might appreciate a fuller explanation from Dad himself. So I asked Dad to clarify this point and explain whether not implementing certain prophecies in the GNs constitutes doubting the Word. Here's what he said:

133. (Dad speaking:) In the case of prophecies like the "Loving Jesus" revelation, or other direction that the Lord gives which is not a fundamental Family belief that He requires all those in the Family to believe and follow, if you don't have the faith to follow and implement it in your own life, you're not necessarily doubting the Lord's Words.

134. What determines whether it is a doubt or not is whether you believe it's really the Lord that is speaking. If you don't believe that it was the Lord speaking in those prophecies‚ and you go around telling others that you don't think that that particular revelation is from the Lord, then you're saying that Mama and Peter must have gotten it from a source other than the Lord, and that would be doubting. But if you acknowledge that, yes, they are the Lord's Words, and that direction or revelation is from the Lord, but yet you don't have the faith to personally accept it and implement it in your own life, then the Lord gives some leeway for this. He knows some of these things are difficult to take, and He wants to leave it up to your own individual faith. He's a God of love‚ and He wants to make it as easy as possible for you. He's very patient and He doesn't condemn you. He just waits until you're strong enough to be able to fully receive, accept and follow what He says.

135. But if you're doubting that these things are really from the Lord‚ that leaves you no other alternative than to believe that Mama and Peter are either being inspired by the Enemy, or that they're just making up these things. Either way, that's a pretty serious doubt and a dangerous position to be in. It's a road that will lead you downwards until you completely reject and forsake everything that the Lord is pouring through Mama and Peter in the Letters.

136. So yes, people do need to accept and believe these things by faith, whether they understand them or not. But the Lord gives allowance for them not to have to implement them personally if they don't have the faith for it, or if they're not yet ready or they're not strong enough.

137. The Lord will reward you according to how closely you follow, how much you receive and implement or act upon what He gives—not only believing it and accepting it as the Lord's Words, but actually receiving it into your heart and your life and letting it change you, and doing something about it. There's a big difference between a mental acceptance that something is of the Lord, and really receiving it into your life. It's similar to the way some people believe that Jesus existed, but they don't receive Him as their personal Savior and invite Him to become a part of their lives. It's like that with prophecy, too. You can believe that a prophecy is the Lord's Words, but still not be receiving it into your heart and life and living it. So that's the difference.

138. There are certain things which the Lord requires you to fully accept and embrace and follow and implement, and those are outlined in the Love Charter. But there are other areas in which the Lord gives much more leeway according to the individual's spiritual strength and faith‚ in which He doesn't condemn you if you have a bit of a hard time catching on, or if it takes you a while to come around to it. (End of message from Dad)

Strange Truths!

204. In listening to what Dad had to say about how messages that come from the Lord and him in prophecy are from the same Source, Jesus—like the messages that he gave in the Letters when he was on Earth, or the Letters that the Lord inspires me to write—it reminded me of what Dad said years ago in the Letter "Strange Truths" (ML #360). The following paragraphs from that Letter seem to apply very much to what the Lord is doing now in the New Wine that He is pouring out through prophecy, and the new revelations that He is giving. I've added a few comments in brackets:

205. (Dad:) All of a sudden some of the kids came yelling excitedly from the streams and the spring and said, "There are all kinds of funny little creatures in the water!" They said, "Look! Look at all these funny little things in the water!" They showed me a cup of water and there were two tiny cute little seahorses in it.... There was a whole variety of interesting little new creatures in the water that we had never seen there before! Some of the kids were all excited about it and thought they were interesting and funny and really fascinating! But some of the kids seemed to be a little bit worried about them, thinking maybe they were contaminating our water. [Sounds like some people's reaction to the "Loving Jesus" revelation and other New Wine, doesn't it?]

206. Some of the visitors [This could apply to Family members, too.] got real upset and began to leave, saying that the water was foul and wasn't good any more because it was full of these little animals. They sort of turned against us because of the change in the water. The water itself hadn't really changed, though. It was still crystal clear and pure and delicious, but it just had all these funny little strange things in it now that were new. [That's right! The Word hasn't changed. The message hasn't changed. The Lord is just showing us new things in a new way that we didn't see so clearly before!]

207. So I got a little concerned about it myself and I said, "Where are they coming from?" And the kids said, "Well, we don't know. They just seem to be everywhere, in the streams and in the spring." But I said, "Where are they coming from?—They've got to be coming from somewhere! Are they getting into the water from the outside, or are they actually coming up in the Spring from within the Spring itself? I'm going to swim out into the Spring and see!"

208. So I dove in and swam out to the middle of the Spring where the water was bubbling up from deep down below, the Source of the water where it was actually gushing out of the Rock, and here were all these little living things tumbling right out with the water, right out of the Source‚ coming from the same place where the water was coming from!... For some reason that seemed to satisfy me that they were all right, that they were clean creatures because they came from the same Source as our water.

209. So I remember thinking, "Well‚ our water is from God. He gave us this water, so the little creatures must be from God, too, and good for us!" So I swam back and told the kids‚ "It's all right. They're all coming from the same Source from which we get our water, so they must be all right. They must be clean and good for us, so don't worry about them; they won't hurt you."

210. I said, "The new creatures are all right: Like the waters quench our thirst, the new creatures are for our nourishment and food. So don't worry about them.—They're good for us!"

211. But by this time most of the visitors had left, the crowd of Systemites, and only a few friends stayed. The Systemites [or even some of our own brothers and sisters] seemed to think our water wasn't any good, and somehow that made us no good‚ too. So they didn't want to have anything more to do with us and they left (ML #360:23-32).

None of These Things Move Me

ML #3307:41-44, GN 906

41. (Mama: ) Each of you is being tested. These attacks on your faith are part of the spiritual warfare.

42. Some people get a little resentful or upset when problems are explained in spiritual terms. I understand that some accuse me of explaining away any confrontations or accusations or persecution as "attacks of the Enemy" or "the Lord purging the Family." Some don't see the reality of the situation, and therefore think that's my little defense mechanism. I can understand that you might feel that way, because "the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit" (1Cor.2:14).

43. But the truth is, we are fighting a spiritual warfare and the Enemy is attacking. He always has! Don't just take my word for it—read your Bible! He's fighting you‚ me, Peter, and the Family as a whole with everything he's got! It's real! To truly discern what's happening, you have to rise above the finite, narrow mind of man and see with the eyes of the spirit. Consider the following verses from the Bible, which you know so well. Ask the Lord to help you look at them in a fresh light, applying them to your present situation:

Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God‚ and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2Cor.10:3–5).

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph.6:12).

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about‚ seeking whom he may devour (1Pet.5:8).

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (2Cor.2:11).

And the Lord said, Simon‚ Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not (Luke 22:31-32).

44. Acceptance of the existence of a spiritual warfare is crucial to understanding what's going on and to gaining the faith and strength you need to make wise decisions. As Dad has taught us, when you go over the top, that's when the Enemy starts shooting. We must be doing something right to have these attacks come up now.

Issues, Part 11

ML #3413:211-214, GN 997

211. (Jesus speaking: ) In the days to come, as you put on My mind more and more, you will experience more and more of the ways and thoughts and visions of Heaven. It's part of My gift to you, part of helping you to endure and make it through the days to come‚ when darkness will cover the Earth so completely.

212. As you put on My mind more, you will have more faith to receive these visions and glimpses into the world beyond, and you will grow in faith to share them with others. If you analyze them and pick them apart, there is much that is incomprehensible to the natural mind of man. But if you choose to take them in the spirit, there is much that you can gain, much insight and inspiration and understanding.

213. One thing you must understand, My loves‚ which is hard to explain in terms that your natural mind can come to grips with, is that the realm of Heaven and the spirit is limitless. The experiences you will have there will be without compare. The newness will never wear off. The levels and realms of Heaven are unable to be counted, even with infinitely huge numbers‚ for they are literally limitless. You, each of you, are My bride—and I have prepared a place so perfect, so wonderful, so exquisite, that I dare not try to communicate to you in earthly words how happy you will be upon arrival Here.

214. The same goes for the realm of the spirit which communicates with you now in your lives on Earth. There is so much that you cannot understand because they are the ways of Heaven—which are so different from the ways of Earth—that I urge you not to let yourself be put in a box in your expectations or willingness to receive. There is much that I want to give you, much that I want to show you, and each time you see something or experience it, remember that it is but a tiny glimpse, not meant to be understood in its entirety, but merely given to encourage and strengthen and help you along the way. Even when you come here, you will never understand everything. Things will be much clearer, yes, but your understanding will grow as your spirit grows—and since, as one of My children, I want you to always continue to grow, I will keep creating things for you to learn and discover—ad infinitum! (End of message from Jesus)

Obliterate Obstacon

ML #3434:1–8, GN 1017

1. In this GN, the Lord reveals to us another spiritual power who fights against us, one who is specifically targeting the area of our being able to absorb and live the Word. The Lord showed us that this was important for us all to be aware of and to seek Him about before going into the time of discussion, application, and establishing safeguards to make the Word revolution a reality in our lives and Homes.

2. I realize that some of you may be feeling weary with a depiction of another demon that opposes us. The Enemy wants to make you feel that way and to take it lightly or blow it off, because then he and his minions would be free to do their business in the dark, without you being aware of them. The Lord is telling us these things because He knows that it's important for us to be aware of our adversaries so that we can fight effectively (2Cor.2:11). He wants us to be as prepared and fully armed as possible when it comes to the spiritual warfare we're faced with these days. He said:

3. (Jesus speaking: ) Don't let the Enemy make you feel weary or like it's "too much" to have yet another demon exposed. This knowledge is a very key part of the spiritual warfare. Many people have the weakness of seeing things in only the physical realm, rather than looking at what's happening in the spirit.

4. It is in the spirit that battles are won or lost. Those who want to be winners will fight in the spirit. Those who choose to reject that insight and truth, and who prefer instead to stay in the physical plane, will wind up losing‚ for they will be weakened and will not see the attacks coming.

5. One of the main advantages of choosing to see things in the spirit and fight in the spirit is that you can see the attacks coming, you can prepare, you can be warned and ready. If you don't accept the spiritual point of view and instead choose to stay in the physical realm, then you just have to deal with the attacks as they come and you fight a much more defensive warfare. Plus, your enemy is safe from your attacks and offensive against him, because he's not limited to or affected by the physical plane.

6. So those who choose to limit themselves to the physical plane through disbelief or dismissing these important revelations of the spirit that I'm giving you are greatly disadvantaged. You also handicap yourselves in facing the future, for I will continue to expose your spiritual enemies in the days to come, as well as reveal your spiritual defenders and weaponry. Be not ignorant of the Evil One's devices, nor of your own defenses! (End of message from Jesus.)

7. (Mama:) The Lord makes it clear that learning to recognize the spiritual warfare, and working with those who are helping us from the spirit world, as well as fighting against those who seek to hinder us, are secrets to success and survival at this time in history.

8. This is a unique time. It's a time that is different from all that has gone before, because this is leading up to the grand finale, so things are different, more intense. The Enemy‚ as was foretold in the Bible‚ knows that his time is short and he's trying all sorts of new tactics and pulling out all the firepower against us that he can muster (Rev.12:12). It's very important for us to remember that‚ as it will help the battles and all that the Lord is showing us to make more sense and fall into perspective.

So You Want to Be a Disciple?

ML #3458:67-75, GN 1043

The "Spiritual Warfare" Factor

67. (Mama:) I know some of you don't like to look at situations as attacks of the Enemy, or blame problems on the Devil. After all, it's easy to think that if these active disgruntled former members, even if only a handful, are so determined to put a stop to the Family, then there must be something wrong with us or what we're doing. You wonder, "Can it really just be that the Enemy's using them?" You'd rather have some kind of logical, reasonable explanation. It's odd how sometimes the simplest answers are the hardest for you to accept, possibly because you've allowed your faith to weaken so drastically and no longer have the "faith of a little child" you once had (Mk.10:15).

68. I'm in the business of telling the truth, and the truth is that there is a spiritual warfare raging, and you're a part of it whether you like it or not. The spiritual affects the physical, and the physical affects the spiritual. There are forces for good and bad in both realms‚ and if you can't believe that—one of the most basic spiritual principles—then you'd better get serious with the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes and help you to see things in the spirit, as they really are, because in the physical, carnal realm, the Enemy is always right there to make things look very different, to convince you to see things from his perspective.

69. To have faith is a conscious choice, a vital one, but no one can make it for you, dear ones. You've got to choose the road of faith, keep the heavenly vision, stay connected to the Word, and fight to keep your spiritual eyes open so that you're aware of the supernatural realm and the battle that's raging. That's how you'll see things through the Lord's eyes, and remain strong and steadfast in Him!

70. (Jesus:) Faith is a gift of the spirit that many of you, sad to say, have all but lost. You've lost your childlike faith to believe, to receive‚ to grow, and to see things through My eyes. Many of you have chosen the logical, analytical‚ carnal, fleshly road, and you've been walking that path for so long that it's now very difficult for you to see things in the spirit. Many of you have become dull and familiar with the spiritual realm after hearing about it for many years, and now there is a great wave of those of you who have turned toward the road of your carnal mind, choosing the road of skepticism over faith.

71. Yes, you do believe in angels and demons, but you take it only so far and no further. You have a hard time believing the realm of the spirit actually affects the physical realm so powerfully. So because you don't believe that, you have a hard time accepting the revelations of demons, spirit helpers, and the like. Most of you are content to just look at the demons and angels as far-off beings who don't really affect life on Earth. It's sad, but true. This isn't the case with everyone, but it's quite a widespread mentality—the rejection of hearing things explained in spiritual terms and instead wanting to sort out in your own mind how it all makes sense. This lack of faith is prevalent in many areas of your lives, not just the rejection of the spiritual warfare.

72. It's precisely because the Enemy is fighting so hard, and you haven't raised a standard against him by strengthening your spirits with the Word‚ that you are lacking in faith, and because you don't really realize it‚ you are becoming prey to his devices. The spiritual warfare has intensified and the ante has been upped, and My Words and truth do need to be explained more clearly now than ever before, because the Enemy fights it harder than ever. But oh, how I wish that you, My children, would return to the simplicity of My Spirit‚ to the faith of little babes sucking to receive My Words!

73. Many of you have faith that goes only so far and no further. Your faith is conditional. That's why so many of you are swayed and stumbled by the lies of the Enemy—your faith is weak. You have conditional faith that believes what it wants to believe and rejects what it doesn't understand or doesn't want to accept.

74. You must see things in the spirit! You've got to choose to see things with the eyes of faith‚ because there's so much that can never be explained in carnal or fleshly terms. There's so much about the dynamics of the spirit, My spiritual gifts, and the workings of the world of the spirit that you will never understand with your human mind, and which will never make sense to the scoffer, the doubter‚ or the unbeliever. But that's where faith comes in—faith of a little child, faith as a grain of mustard seed, faith that can move mountains, faith that transforms you and gives you understanding.

75. To choose the road of faith is a choice you have to make! It's a choice no one else can make for you! But it's a vital choice‚ because when you lose your faith, then you have lost everything, and you're in danger of becoming alienated from My Spirit. (End of message.)

The Mysterious Keys, Part 2

ML #3473:146-166, GN 1061

146. (Mama:) Here's some encouragement from our Husband that one of the teamworkers of one of our WS Homes received for someone who was battling with trying to absorb and put into perspective all the new moves of the spirit, along with all that we've learned from Dad and that the Lord has poured out over the years. It can seem kind of overwhelming sometimes—all the instruction about the keys and the key promises, our spirit helpers, the spiritual entities who fight us that we're supposed to be praying against and aware of, plus all the older weapons of praise, loving the Lord intimately, prophecy, etc.

147. If you're feeling overwhelmed by all this new information, I think the Lord's answer will be comforting and encouraging for you, and help to put things in perspective. He gave it not only to the person, but He also speaks directly to all of us. I love you!

148. (Jesus:) My dear one, thanks for loving Me and giving yourself to Me completely. That's really the name of the game, and all I'm really after. I'm so proud of you and of all My dear brides of the children of David. As you give yourselves more and more to Me, it allows Me and moves Me to fill you more and more and give you more of the tools and gifts, more of the insight into the spirit world that will empower you and help you to be able to overcome and win in each and every situation.

149. It would be great, of course, if you were so spiritual, such mighty warriors, that you were like one of those Hollywood, computer-fabricated action stars, like the guy in The Matrix or one of these other fanciful productions. And in the spirit, your prayers—when you're really‚ truly desperate and wholehearted—are that powerful‚ and do those kinds of mighty feats.

150. But prayer, calling on the keys, and using the new weapons are all spiritual. It's invisible power, silent force, and the results are often the same. The miracles and answers happen in the spirit first, behind the scenes. A lot of it is something you might not even know about, or find out what happened, because it changed something in the spirit, or moved something in the spirit.

151. Of course it ultimately affects the physical, too, and there will be real, solid, tangible, physical answers to every sincere and wholehearted prayer, and every time you obey Me and use the new weapons or call on the keys. But the real action happens in the spirit world. I get to see it, and so do My heavenly helpers. But for you‚ My dear loves, it's nearly all by faith. That's why your love and faith mean so much to Me, and why I've promised to reward you mightily for the stands of faith that you take.

152. It's truly wonderful in My book—the fact that you receive Me, accept My Words, believe them, and act on them‚ all by faith, many times without even being able to see the results. That's real love. That's real faith. It makes Me so proud of you, and makes Me want to bless and reward you all the more!—And I do!

153. I have blessed the Family with exceptional faith. In fact, the Family as a whole has so much faith and insight into the spirit world that they've even become familiar with it. They take it for granted‚ even get tired and are bored with it all sometimes. And sometimes they're tempted to just want to forget about it all. It seems like so much to do‚ so much to remember, so much to stay on top of.

154. Well, dear ones‚ I'm not asking you to stay on top of anything—I'm just asking for your hearts. Yes, I'm constantly pouring out new truths and revelations to you. And I'm glad that your queen keeps on rolling the gold, sharing the know‚ and passing on My Words to the Family. That's what I've called and ordained her to do, and she's been faithful to do that year in and year out.

155. Even things that she herself doesn't fully understand, she takes by faith and passes them on, trusting that I know what I'm doing and that I'm leading the Family exactly where it needs to go. Yes, a lot of it is a mystery, and a lot of it might not be needed in every situation. But there's a reason for it all. You need to be aware of and know about it all, because at some point in time that bit of info will be needed.

156. So keep praying, looking to Me, and fighting in the spirit. At every turn, in every situation, the wealth that you've been given over the years will come in very handy for you in one way or another, whether it's the knowledge of the keys, the names of which demons are hindering and fighting you in the spirit, the intimacy of knowing that I love you like a husband loves his bride, or his child, or his best friend. It's all important, and it's all needed for different situations and circumstances.

157. I want you to be gifted and knowledgeable about all of these things. Every part of it that I've revealed at one time or another to you is important, and I will expect you to be able to draw on it and use it—whether it's the intimacy of the bed; the authority given to you to rebuke demons by their name; the power and riches of the vaults of Heaven that are instantly opened to you by the keys I've given you; the spiritual edification that comes from giving Me your all when you worship Me in spirit and in truth, by giving Me your mind, your thoughts, your heart‚ your tongue‚ your body, and surrendering them completely to Me. All of these are important.

158. These weren't just fads or phases that I brought the Family through and expected them to just "fade away" in time. They're part of what makes you, the Family, so unique, so special, such well-rounded Christians and missionaries.

159. Of course, you've still got a lot to learn, a lot of growing and maturing to do, and you've still got a lot of pride and spiritual problems to forsake and overcome. So I'll still keep pouring out to you and giving you answers—new truths, revelations, new concepts and ideas—and things that will help you in one way or another. It's all needed and it's all part of My spiritual world. But I understand that you, being carnal, mere mortals, have limited capacity to receive and hold and use what I have revealed to you at any given time. I know what it's like to be hindered and held back by the flesh and the carnal mind and reasoning.

160. I've given you a powerful brain and spirit, but right now only a tiny portion of both are completely open and usable. Once you become a spirit being, much more of your spirit and your mental capacity will be open to these things‚ and it won't be such a big deal—all these demons and goddesses and spirit helpers and angels and keys and powers and gifts and spiritual concepts. It'll all just be a walk in the park. You won't be overwhelmed by it all then, or stumbled by it, nor will you be wondering if it's all real or needed or important. You'll understand it all so much better then. (See ML #2955:1-29, Lifelines 21.)

161. Like Paul told the Corinthians, "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye‚ at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1Cor.15:49-53).

162. And as John wrote, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (1John 3:2).

163. Once you come to be with Me, it will all be more clear. Once you leave the corruptible flesh and take on your immortal spirit bodies, the significance of all these things will be much easier to grasp. And then you'll have the spiritual power to be able to use it all, handle it all, and remember it all, and it won't seem so overwhelming or such a big deal to you.

164. In the meantime, I will use whatever you absorb and put to use in your life. Don't just leave it on the shelf, waiting for the time when you can see everything clearly. But take each new truth and revelation—and the old ones as well—and hide it in your heart and work to make it a part of your life, and you'll see Me use it at the most unexpected times. It's all necessary. It all fits together, even if you can't comprehend it all right now.

165. So‚ thanks‚ dear loves, for trusting Me on these things. Thanks for accepting and for being willing to keep receiving My answers‚ even when they start opening up another whole new facet or stage of your growth, and you're tempted to feel like putting a cork in it.

166. Don't be afraid of the new and unexpected or incomprehensible. The spirit world is vast, and there are so many things that I have yet to tell you. I don't expect you to be able to handle it all or remember every little detail. I know your limitations. But I do want you to receive it and believe it and do your very best to put it into practice whenever you can. (End of message from Jesus)

Which Comes First—The Revelation or the Artwork?

ML #3474:61-62, Post-it GN #12

61. (Jesus:) The Enemy knows that many of you struggle with the explanations of the spiritual warfare already. You are sometimes tempted to feel that the descriptions of the demons and spirit helpers are overdone, or something that goes just a bit too far. He would love to push you over the edge with this train of thought to the point that you don't believe My warnings and instruction about those who fight you, and you don't call on those who could help you. Thus the Enemy would have gained a great advantage in his fight against you. That's his hope, his goal.

62. That's what he's trying to do in discrediting My Words, and specifically the revelations that I have blessed you with, My children of David. He doesn't like being exposed, so he'll try anything to keep you from believing the things I've revealed to you about the reality of the spirit world. Don't give away your advantage in the spiritual warfare through unbelief of what I've revealed to you! Call the Enemy's bluff! Try My Words, and see if they are not true. For if they are put to the test in faith, you will find that they do work, the Enemy is exposed, and victory is yours! (End of message from Jesus.)

Choices and Consequences, Part 2

ML #3485:172-175, GN 1070

Names of Spirit Helpers and the Language of Heaven

172. (Mama:) I don't know if you've ever wondered how it is that many of the spirit helpers and demons the Lord has revealed to us have names that are so close to what they represent in the spirit—especially because the names are often close to the English words, and the language of Heaven is likely not the same. I asked the Lord about this, and His answer is so interesting and yet so simple.

173. (Jesus: ) You're right that Heaven has a different language—much richer and fuller and more beautiful than any you know on Earth. Much of the language of Heaven is communicated in feelings, thoughts, pictures, all of which you'll learn to use when you come here, along with, of course, expressions, body language, and words spoken aloud as you do on Earth.

174. The reason the spirit helpers' and even demons' names so often coincide with words that you're familiar with is because I choose to do it that way to make it easy for you to remember them and associate them. It's not necessarily their name in Heaven or in the spirit world, but it's the handle I assign them for you on Earth to use.

175. So don't wonder or let the Enemy tell you that it's just a figment of someone's imagination. Even if I sometimes reveal the same spirit to a couple of people and tell them different names, that shouldn't bother or stumble you. The spirit is the same‚ and as long as you're calling them by one of their names and they know you're talking about them, it's effective. Just as I am called many different names by My children in different languages and even different cultures, but all those who call out to Me, I hear and answer; it is the same with these spirits. They are real entities, either for good or evil. But because you cannot even begin to comprehend the language of Heaven, and it would be far too difficult for you to learn and remember their names in that language, I often choose names or portions of words from the English language to make the association easy for you. (End of message from Jesus.)

Copyright © 2004 by The Family

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