By MariaMaria #675 FD/MM/FM 3487 2/04

Dear Family‚

1. The winds of change are blowing throughout the Family—good, wonderful, positive, life-changing winds! Our Husband is challenging us as a Family, restructuring our ranks, and proving once again that He is a moving, changing‚ radical, revolutionary God Who loves us enough to keep us stirred up in spirit and moving forward. If He didn't care about us and our future‚ He'd just let us stagnate, die on the vine‚ or outlive our usefulness. So His refreshing winds of change are proof, once again, of His deep love for us. Because He loves us, He's moving us forward‚ and as a result of this time of progress and change and restructuring, by His grace we will be a stronger, more obedient, and happier Family! We have so much to look forward to as we move in sync with Him!

2. However, despite all the good that our Husband has promised will come about through these positive changes and the restructuring of the Family—which you've read about in "New Year's Challenge for 2004," "Forward, Always Forward," and "The Next Step!—Missionary Membership," we still have to contend with Satan. It's his job‚ as always‚ to make everything good look bad, construe everything positive as something negative, and bring trials and battles and tribulations our way. And he's not being calm or timid about it, either; he's bold and has stepped up the pace, because he knows what great victories are just around the corner for the Family, and each of you personally, as a result of the new plans of action and change our Husband has delivered to us.

3. So if you have been besieged by extra-strong battles of any kind, don't be discouraged. It's because the Family is on the threshold of the great and marvelous victories our Commander in Chief has promised, and the Enemy doesn't want to let us succeed without a fight. Read this wonderful message and be encouraged!

4. (Jesus:) This new year is the beginning of a very important period in the history of the Family. It's a crucial and pivotal year for the Family‚ and for the whole world. Never before has the Enemy been so insanely angry at what is about to be accomplished in the Family‚ about the changes that will mark the beginning of the great losses he will feel in the spirit and the strongholds that will slip from his grasp. He is attacking many ferociously.

5. From the onset of the new year, many of My most loyal brides have been tested. The sifting has begun. These are times of testing, a time when the Enemy has been allowed to attack. His attacks on each person have been different, but he has been given permission to look into the hearts of each of My brides and to strike in the area of their lives that is most vulnerable, where he knows he might have the best chance of succeeding in defeating or doing damage.

6. He has taken what he knows is most difficult for you, and he has attacked. He wants to discourage you, to push you down to the point where you feel like giving up completely, for this is his purpose and goal. He is trying his damnedest to get you to surrender, to say, "It's too much. I give up." But he will not succeed, because you will not allow him to. I have great faith in you, even though your faith in yourself sometimes flickers low. You wonder if at any minute your little flame will be snuffed out, but I look forward to the day when it will glow even brighter. That day is not that far away.

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7. (Question:) Hasn't the Enemy always been allowed to attack us? Are his attacks special now just because he is concentrating on the areas in which we are the most vulnerable and where he can do the most damage? But if I look back at some of the battles and attacks I've been through in the past‚ they were tough enough as it was. If the battles are going to get even more intense‚ how can we handle it?

8. (Jesus:) The Enemy attacks in many ways. He doesn't always hit you with huge, destabilizing assaults. He doesn't always strike in the area of your life that is most vulnerable. Sometimes it's little things—little thoughts, little doubts, little daily battles. In this way, he keeps you on your toes in the spirit and he is your ally. You could not bear it if he were to consistently attack you in your most vulnerable spots, and so I do not allow him to. I give you reprieve, I give you surcease from the severest battles; I hold the Enemy's attacks at bay. However, during this time the Enemy has been given permission to delve into each person's heart to find where their greatest weaknesses lies.

9. He knows he's about to be defeated, so this is his last-ditch attempt to attack before great forward progress is made in the Family, and for each individual. This is what I mean when I say‚ "He has been given permission to look into the hearts of each of My brides and to strike in the area of their lives that is most vulnerable‚ where he knows he might have the best chance of succeeding in defeating or doing damage." He has been allowed this leeway before, as you well know if you have ever been through extreme and life-threatening battles with the Enemy, but he is not consistently given this permission. And just as he has attacked you in the past, striking at your vulnerability, and you overcame and won the battle, so is victory possible today—and not only possible, but inevitable, if you don't give up, if you fight, if you wield the keys‚ if you are determined to defeat him. (End of message.)

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10. Many are going through trying-their-faith-to-the-limit battles and tests—or if some haven't yet, they will experience them very soon. It's the trying of your faith, the purging of the ranks, and the sifting of the saints. It's all part of the purging process and the strengthening of the Family—and because the Family of the future will only be as strong as the individuals who make up the Family, so must each individual be tested and tried to prove the purity of their "gold." So please know that what you are going through is not in vain, and once you have been through this purging fire‚ the Enemy will from that point on have much less power to touch you, and I will restore to your heart, mind, and spirit much more than you presently feel you have lost.

11. You must always fight to have the supernatural reactions of faith and trust, for rise-above power. The tougher the battle, the harder it is to be positive and to rise above, but the more strength of spirit you receive as a result of making the difficult decisions, of fighting the life-and-death battles of the spirit.

12. Thank you for being willing to go through the fire. Though the making and refining process is never easy, no matter how many times you have been through the fire, it is usually what is necessary in order to get the results I need. I'm sorry it hurts. I'm sorry there isn't an easier, less painful and less difficult way to test and purge My brides and prepare them for the days ahead. If there were a simpler, easier way, I would do it.

13. The Enemy is fighting and has come before the throne‚ once again, as the accuser of the saints. I must allow him a fair chance to test and try the hearts of the children of David, not only because of the role he plays in strengthening the hearts of those who overcome and remain committed to Me through his testings, but also because I want to prove to him that every bride who comes through his present fires of testing will be Mine without reservation or conditions. This purging and testing time will not be quick or easy, but those who endure and rise above and come through victorious will be given greater protection against the Enemy's future attacks, greater faith‚ and more of the blessings of My Spirit.

14. The Enemy knows that those who make it in the days to come—even those who make it and remain loyal to Me throughout this year—are going to be strengthened in a way that is going to turn the tide of the battle much more in favor of Me and My devoted brides. It will be a big loss for the Enemy, and this is why he fights so vehemently and why I have had to allow him greater leeway to attack. For many of the children of David, it will be his last-ditch attempt to defeat and destroy them, because he knows that those who overcome will then be given greater protection as one of their medals and rewards of victory.

15. Please do not give in or give up. I know you feel the heat of the fire hotter than ever before, but remember that this time is precious to Me. I see your heart and that it is yielded to Me‚ despite how hard the tests are. I see how deep your love runs for Me, and to what lengths you are willing to go for Me. So does Satan, and in time he will give up in defeat when he realizes that his efforts are futile and that you are committed to always being Mine. (End of message.)

16. So if the Enemy has been attacking you with doubts, discouragement‚ negativity in any of its forms, fear of the future, hopelessness, despair, or any other battles, please take our Husband's advice: Don't give up! It's just the Enemy's puny way of fighting and trying to hinder this new move of the spirit in the Family and the restructuring that will make us stronger. But he doesn't stand a chance and can't win! His attempts are no match for the keys and the weapon of praise, as well as all of the other Satan-slaying weapons we have in our spiritual arsenal, which destroy his influence and power at every turn.

17. The messages that follow in this GN are powerful ammunition that you can use against him, too. So read the messages, dear ones, be encouraged, let the counsel and truths sink in, pray and hear from the Lord personally, and then sock it to the Enemy with all of the power and weapons of the spirit, and I guarantee that he'll turn tail and run. This battle—that of going through this period of change, restructuring and renewal—is one you will win, if you fight!

18. Our Husband said He wanted to give you these faith-building messages regarding the good and positive changes He's bringing about‚ to strengthen you for the restructuring that lies ahead, for your encouragement to not give up, to help you to trust that He's doing all things well, to give you peace and trust‚ and to bless each of you with faith that you can and will make it in the place of service He has ordained for you. His Words, if activated in your heart, will be powerful weapons to aid you in resisting the Enemy's attacks, will help you to keep fighting and not give up prematurely, and will remind you that our Lover is in control of everything. The future of the Family, and your personal future as well, is in the palm of His hand, and He won't fail! He never has and He never will!

Trusting in our all-knowing‚ wise, and loving Navigator and Guide,

Mama

Changes Are Your Friend

19. (Jesus:) Times when there are imminent changes for the Family that will personally affect everyone in some way—including you and your loved ones—are always a test. These are the biggest kinds of tests, those that hit home—the heart. I understand, My loves, and I don't condemn you for having natural‚ human reactions to times of change. But I want to help you through this time—to not just come through this worn out from being battered with fear, worry, and doubt, but to come through this time strengthened. You see, I do all things well. I do all things well concerning the Family, and I do all things well concerning you, the individual. I know that it's difficult at times to know what label to hang on change, whether to call it "friend" or "foe," but I want you to trust Me that these changes that I'm blessing the Family with are your friend.

20. Picture yourself walking confidently through the dark haziness of the unknown ahead of you. You have determined in your mind to face these changes—come what may—even though you don't know exactly how they will affect you and your loved ones. You keep walking ahead bravely in faith, brushing aside the cobwebs of worry and fear that block your path and threaten to smother you. Finally you make your way through the cobwebs and obstacles before you and find yourself in a large open place. Soon you'll see whether change is your friend or foe. Before you sits change. What form does change take? All you see is Me‚ and I'm waiting with open arms to embrace and love you.

21. This is how I want you to view the changes that lie ahead for the Family. If you can keep this simple picture in your mind that these changes are from Me‚ that these changes represent Me and My great love for you, then you have an effective weapon for cutting through any of the Enemy's scare tactics and cobwebs of fear, worry, or doubt.

22. The Enemy wants you to think of these changes in the worst possible way. He'll have you label these changes as "foe." He'll label them as the most scary, most dreadful thing possible to look forward to. But that's because he doesn't want you to step forward facing these changes in faith. He knows that these changes are directly from My hand and they're good changes—for the Family and for you. But he'll do everything he can to convince you that they're not good, and that the way they might affect your life is something to fear and dread.

23. Satan doesn't want you to hold on. He doesn't want you to step forward in faith, trusting in My promises and great love for you. He's hoping you'll succumb to worrying, doubting, and speculating about the changes in a spirit of fear and worry, because he knows this is a human weakness. But that's where his greatest power lies—in fear.

24. In short‚ there are several ways you can look at and approach this restructuring time, if you're not sure exactly where you fit in:

25. * You can be sobered, and more desperate‚ but not do anything about it, aside from waiting for someone (perhaps your COs or VSs) to tell you what to do.

26. * You can be sobered‚ and more desperate‚ and spend more time in the Word being strengthened, but still worry about the coming changes and how they will affect you and yours.

27. * Or, you can be sobered, more desperate, and use this time to the maximum by spending as much time as you can in the Word, hearing from Me, and asking Me to strengthen and prepare your heart and spirit for how the changes in the Family will affect you. You can put on the glasses of positiveness and actively fight against worry and fear.

28. The answer is obvious as to which plan I would prefer that you follow during this time. But believe it or not, there are many of you, My brides, who know what to do, but still the Enemy manages to secure a little corner in a back room of your mind and heart where he hits you with his lies‚ worries, and fears. That's what I want you to actively fight against. It will take work and real spiritual effort on your part, but this is a vital part of My preparation plan for you in these months ahead.

29. The Enemy will be doing his damnedest to cause you to worry, fear, and work yourself into a tizzy about the changes ahead, because he wants you to surrender prematurely. He wants you to give up now, before you get to experience all the good things that I have in store for you ahead as a result of the changes. He'll be doing all he can to frighten you into surrender. He'll be doing all he can to scare you about the future. He specializes in fear. That's where his greatest power lies.

30. Ask Me to help you to consciously remember the basic spiritual principle that fear‚ worry, and negativity are of the Enemy. Ask Me to help you to be more aware of the spiritual warfare that surrounds you every minute of every day. Ask Me to help you to be more spiritually sensitive, so that you're able to consciously keep a rein on your thoughts and to stop when you're tempted to walk down the road of worry.

31. Hold onto the key of faith tightly, My loves! Don't allow the Enemy to snatch it out of your grasp. He'll try to, but don't give him your power—which is your faith. Don't surrender your power to the Enemy, because once you succumb to fear and worry, the Enemy will wrap you up so tight in his straitjacket of worry that it will be much more difficult to get free.

32. Please, My loves, I urge you to look to Me, to cling to Me and to trust in My great love for you. Then dwell in that love and faith by immersing yourself in My Word and in a spirit of praise and thankfulness. Call the Enemy's bluff by wholeheartedly and vocally being more praiseful, more full of Me and My love, and more on the attack to fill your mind and life with positive and faith-building thoughts and actions. Go to war against worry and fear! Inundate your mind and spirit with My Word and My light! Flood your life and mind with praise and My key promises.

33. Don't succumb to the Enemy's scare tactics. Put on your combat fatigues and punch him out! Call on the keys of faith and trust and determination, and show the Enemy you're not afraid to look change in the face, because you've looked into My face many times, and you've only seen and felt great love, and have only experienced true happiness and fulfillment in following Me wherever I lead. (End of message.)

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(Jesus: ) There is no one right now in the Family who cannot make it. Every one of you can make it in the place of service that is My highest will for you, but this choice is up to you. I can't and won't make you change or become who I need you to be. This is a choice you must make on your own. Yes, it's a hard choice‚ and one with big repercussions and blessings. I'm not saying it'll be easy to change, but I am saying if you want it, then it is yours for the taking. Reach up and grab it! Take hold of it, and let Me bring you to new heights.

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34. (Question:) There's a lot of talk about change in this GN. But what changes are You talking about? Are You talking about the restructuring changes that have been explained to the Family in "New Year's Challenge for 2004!" and "Forward‚ Always Forward!" and "The Next Step!—Missionary Membership"? Or are You talking about other changes?

35. (Jesus: ) There are all kinds of changes on the horizon‚ and the changes will affect everyone. They're all good changes‚ beautiful changes, strengthening changes that will involve each person in some way or another. I have explained many of the changes to you already, My dear brides, in the latest GNs, and you've now seen that these changes are positive changes that are going to make things better, make each person happier, and strengthen the Family overall.

36. There will be some changes of status for different individuals and Homes, which in the end will result in positive change and forward progress, despite initial reservations. But the changes on the horizon are much more than that. So even if you don't have a change of status, there will still be opportunities of change for you that will challenge you, enrich your life, draw you closer to Me, and strengthen your spirit. There will be mindset changes, as I'm asking each of you to see things in a new light. There will be changes in Homes and personnel. There will be personal changes, and victories won as a result. There will be changes in the way you operate as individuals and as teams‚ so that you can progress faster.

37. There will be many changes to look forward to as we move onward into the restructuring and strengthening of the Family together, My loves. So welcome the changes—in whatever form they come into your life—knowing that they're good‚ ordained of Me, and steppingstones to progress. We're all on the road of change together; we're in this together! The changes are what are going to propel the Family forward to new heights and greater usefulness for Me. So embrace each change—personal, Family-wide, physical, or spiritual—that you are blessed to feel the effects of, and make each change count in your life; milk it for all that it's worth. (End of message.)

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All-conquering Faith!

38. (Jesus:) The key element to combat fear of the future and lack of faith for what lies ahead is faith. Without faith it is impossible to rise above and conquer your fears. You must have faith, and if you don't have the faith or are struggling due to fear, then it is vital that you ask for prayer to be delivered from fear. It is vital that you ask for your faith to be rekindled. I promise that you can be free of all your fears through faith. In order to be free‚ you must decide that you will do your part—read, receive, and apply My Word. The Word will give you faith. Without faith you will not be able to overcome, but with faith you will. It is your faith‚ which comes by receiving My Word and applying it, that will see you through.

39. Many are still blinded by Obstacon, Oplexicon, Arakan, and Apotheon, wrapped in the bed sheets of Lethargy‚ and buffeted by Pan. I encourage you, dear loves, that it is not too late. Humble yourselves in My sight and I will lift you up! I will renew your faith. I will uphold you. I will help you. I will strengthen you. Whosoever will call on My Name will be saved.

40. I have given you the power of the keys, and the keys are able to break any entrenched‚ lifelong bad habit—that means bad habits that are firmly established and unlikely to change. The keys are able to vanquish old and negative habits and create new and positive habits. If you obey, you will experience the fruit of My promises.

41. The main step that you need to take that will enable you to be free from fear‚ that will renew your faith, that will give you the power to have complete victory is this: Surrendering your will to Me. Come to Me and say, "Not my will‚ but Thine be done." Don't worry about what that will mean to you personally. I'll take care of that. I promise if you will take that step, you will receive the ability and the power to make it through the future.

42. Don't speculate. Don't fear. Don't think one thought about tomorrow. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Live this moment for Me. Give your heart to Me this moment. Submit your will to Me this moment. I promise, I guarantee that when you do this and you resist the Devil and any of his demons that are fighting you, they will flee. Call on the keys to defeat the Devil and his demons—whether it be Pan, Arakan, Obstacon, Oplexicon, Apotheon, the Selvegion, Bacchus, Pride, or any other demons I reveal that are fighting you—and they will be cast back to Hell where they belong, and you will be free!

43. I will not fail you. I will not forsake you. I will bring you through moment by moment, day by day. I promise you. You have My Word. My Word does not fail. My Word is truth. If you hold on to My Word‚ you will make it. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away. Do you believe this? Even if you only have the faith to say, "I believe, help Thou my unbelief," I will do it. I will give you the faith as you read My Word.

44. Ask for prayer and then read My Word. If your foundation has been on the sand of fear, then rebuild it on the Rock of My Word. Humble yourself. Come to Me as a newborn babe, and I will give you the sincere milk of the Word. Go back to the beginning and read the Letters I built the foundation of this Family on. Pray and ask Me to open your eyes to the wondrous things out of My Word. Pray against the influence of Pan and his implets. Bind the power of Obstacon, Apotheon, Arakan‚ Lethargy, Oplexicon, and all of the other demons of Hell. Call on the power of the keys of imprisonment to keep them from disturbing your time with Me. And then come into the temple of My treasures and let your faith be rekindled and strengthened. Fear will flee and fade away.

45. Fight for your faith. Covet My Words daily and do not allow the Enemy any place, any voice, any thought, any influence in your heart. Fight, by continually submitting yourself to Me‚ by verbally telling Me that you are willing to do My will, that you choose My will, not your own. Then the power will come, and Satan will flee when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. You will send your adversary packing, and he will flee! He has no power over you. You will be free of fear. Fear will have no hold or power over you because you will have given yourself to Me. You must make the commitment not to give place to your feelings, emotions‚ or any negative thoughts that come to you. You must hold on to My Word, knowing that in so doing your obedience and trust will bring the victory.

46. You have My Words in abundance—new, old, and the living Word. You have the keys of the Kingdom that enable you to overcome all impossibilities. But before any of this will take place, you must give Me your will. You don't have to worry about what that means; you don't need tons of faith to do it; you just need to be willing. If you have a willing mind, just say the words, and I will do the rest.

47. After you have had prayer for deliverance from fear and for your faith to be renewed, the Letters that you have read many times before will come alive to you as New Wine! Call on the power of the keys and claim that as you read My Word, I will open your eyes to it as never before. Call on their power to sweep your mind clean of anything that would stand in opposition to you receiving My Words and being changed by them.

48. As you are faithful to bathe yourself in My Word, I will renew your faith‚ and your foundation will be one that will stand strong, and your house will not crumble and be swept away. (End of message.)

Bravery in the Face of Fear

49. (Jesus: ) The Enemy would love to plant doubt in your heart to the point that you will develop an "I can't" attitude regarding the future changes in the Family, or the personal changes I am asking you to make. Obstacon and Apotheon are working double time to try to get you to adopt an attitude of hopelessness—all with the intent to encourage your quitting, giving up, and copping out.

50. The goal of this kind of fear and of making you think on the "worst–case scenario" is to push you to a point where you'll entertain quitting, where you'll start to think about how far is too far. You wonder and worry about your future status, about the decisions your loved ones and friends might make, about the changes I might ask you to make in your personal life, if you will have what it takes to make it through the renewal period‚ if you will be able to find a Home that suits your needs and vision, if you will be able to raise your Home population in time, if your Home will pass the Home reviews, etc. The Enemy will use whatever he can to paint this black picture of the future that has you being pushed further than you can go, the doorknob being set too high, and you having to wonder if this is the time you'll finally not make it and you'll drop off the bandwagon and get left behind while others move on.

51. Can you imagine any way in the whole world that thoughts like that could possibly be of Me? Even if I were trying to test you to see how much you'd be willing to give up for Me, I'd never do it in this way, through fear and depression and worry that you can't do it or won't make it.

52. He's trying to win the battle before it even starts, through propaganda warfare of the mind. He's encouraging you to imagine the worst, instead of having faith, patience, and trust. He knows that what I have planned for you and for the whole Family is going to make you better, and that My goals for you are not out of your reach, but are very much within your grasp. Yes, the Enemy and his crowd want you to fail, they want you to drop off the wagon, but I don't.

53. To a certain extent, your carnal mind will always be afraid of the light of the Word and the revolutions I bring about, especially when they're quite monumental and life changing. You'll always worry a little as to what I will require of you, what you'll need to give up, and this can give the Enemy—and Apotheon in particular—an opportunity to flood your mind with fear. The Enemy is seeking to bring about a negative pre–emptive change in your life, hoping that you'll choose to reject My plan before you've had a chance to accept. Don't allow him that opportunity.

54. To rise above this you must look to Me. It has been said that bravery is not the absence of fear, but it is the conquest of it‚ the mastery of it. This is the truth. You will never be free of the temptation to fear. You will never be able to fully cause that "bird" to never come near your head, but you must look above and beyond the fear to Me, to the faith you have in Me and My love for you and My promises to you, and have courage, despite the fear you could face otherwise. You must use the Word and faith and "God's good grain" that is stored in your heart as a ballast during these kinds of storms. You have to praise Me by faith anyway, and love Me anyway, and keep on going anyway, and not let yourself get discouraged, afraid, or resentful.

55. This is not a problem with you—this is an attack of the Enemy, and should be treated as such. It's like the part in Pilgrim's Progress when in the Dark Valley a fiend of the Evil One whispered words of doubt, profanity, and cruelty in the ear of Christian, and on account of the darkness and noise and confusion of the Dark Valley, he wondered if he had said those things, and it made him discouraged and feel condemned. I don't want you to feel that way.

56. When you get attacked in things that concern your faith and your future in the Family, of course you can feel very bad that those things happen. You wish you could be stronger, but through this weakness you will be. My strength can be perfected in your weakness if you will realize that it is an attack of the Enemy, and as such it can be overcome; it can be defeated through any number of the weapons that are placed at your disposal.

57. It's nothing more than a trick, a ploy, a trap, a ruse. You're not a horrible loser for thinking those things and entertaining those fears, and you're not doomed to failure, or whatever else the voices may tell you. If the Enemy can scare you into believing some of these things by overdosing you with his fear‚ he can have a measure of success in altering your attitudes to fit the reality that he's giving you, but that you think is just your mind creating, which makes you convinced that those attitudes and thoughts are your own, when in fact they are not.

58. His only goal is to make you quit, and if you can see this, the illusion falters, the fear fades, and the Devil is exposed. If you can understand that there is nothing to fear but fear itself, it will no longer have power over you. Some nagging worry may remain‚ but its power to alter your moods, emotions, and responses is totally destroyed.

59. You may not feel like, "Oh, look, on the horizon is big change and restructuring for the Family, oh joy!" but you can certainly adopt an attitude of faith that leads you to rely on My past goodness to you, My past corrections that have always been for your benefit, My past revolutions that have always made you strong, and My unending love for you, which never pushes you further than you can go or raises the doorknob beyond your reach. It is very possible through your faith, and through the keys, that you can look those fears in the eye and know that whatever happens will happen for your good, and even be able to anticipate what is ahead.

60. You must rebuke the Enemy when he attacks you in this way. You must recognize the device at work, disarm it‚ and then defeat it. You can do this through praise, prayer, claiming the keys, loving Me, and using any of the spiritual weapons and helpers that are available to you. You can recognize this attack coming on when you feel that icky, mood-killing feeling which is not just the righteous conviction of My Spirit to want to do better, but is that depressing feeling of, "Oh no, what now, what a weariness, why are they making life so difficult‚ why is it so tough, why do they want to make things harder‚ I won't make it," etc. There's a difference between the two‚ and you need to recognize which is which.

61. Positive conviction and positive fear of the Lord will always leave you feeling shaken up, but still challenged and hopeful, and usually quite secure in My love for you. But negative fear will make you feel distant, rebellious, negative, angry, isolated, and with a real "me against them" complex, and this is what to beware of. When the leadership of the Family, and My Words and all My promises start to morph into this sinister "they," that's when you know it's not your own thoughts but the words of Satan or one of his demons, trying to take you right off the wall. That's when it's time to go to war, to say‚ "Get thee behind me, Satan!" And once he's behind you and not able to attack anymore or whisper his deceit‚ you turn around, put your new weapon of choice in his face, and blast the hellish creep back where he came from! I mean it. Don't let those guys just hang around to speak to you and lollygag around filling you with their stupid fear and obvious lies. Get rid of them, rebuke them, and fight!

62. Something you can do is to make an effort to ensure that you are obeying and living up to the standard that you know you need to right now. If you know in your heart that you're weak and falling down in certain areas, and not doing everything I've asked of you today, it's no wonder that your faith would be weak concerning what I'd ask of you tomorrow. So the more you disobey or manifest things that are not of Me, the less faith you will have, and the more easily these attacks will be able to gain a foothold in your spirit.

63. Those "cigars," those things that you know aren't of Me‚ are chinks in your armor through which the Enemy can attack via condemnation and regret. So the cleaner you can keep your life and the more you obey, the more invigorated you'll feel for whatever I have for you in the future, rather than being apprehensive of what you'll have to change.

64. Try the spirits‚ to identify the right kind of fear from the wrong kind, to understand that you can very easily be attacked by Apotheon and others because you are important and they would like to make you quit if they could, and that's the goal of this line of negativity. Learn to fight against it by dwelling on the positive, on the good, and on your faith. Also, the more you obey today, the greater faith you'll have for tomorrow.

65. I am the Source of all the faith you need. Everything good and happy and faith building can be found in Me, and if you don't have enough of Me, you won't make it. If you're feeling low on the good stuff, spend extra time with Me, and I can refill you and encourage you and get you back in a fighting mood once again. (End of message.)

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66. (Question: ) In the messages in this GN, You often use phrases like: "You can make it," or "Don't fear that you won't be able to make it." So I'm just wondering, am I only "making it" if I'm an FD member? Or are You talking about "making it" in the Family in general, at all membership levels? What if I've been moved to the MM Family‚ or You've shown me to move to MM because it is Your will for me at this time? What do You mean by "making it," Jesus? Can I "make it" even if I'm in the MM or FM Family?

67. (Jesus: ) "Making it" is being the best Family member you can be, regardless of your status. "Making it" is doing the maximum that I'm asking of you in your level of service. "Making it" isn't about a specific level of membership; it's all about what you do in your level of membership. If you're giving Me your all as a Missionary member, you're "making it." If you're giving Me your all as Family disciple or a Fellow member, you're "making it."

68. Each person in the Family stands alone before Me. I know each heart, life, and spirit very personally, more intimately than anyone else ever could‚ and how you "make it" in your life is a choice you make in conjunction with Me. Yes, your shepherds will be involved in recommending what they feel may be best for you, as far as your membership status, but then you have to make your decisions alone with Me. You will know, and I will know, if you're "making it"—and by "making it," I mean that you're being 100% dedicated to your level of service.

69. If you're a Fellow member, you can be a 100% Fellow member. If you're a Missionary member, you can be a 100% Missionary member. If you're a Family disciple, you can be a 100% Family disciple. I'm not saying that FD members are the only ones who can give all or "make it"; I will judge by determining your dedication and commitment according to the level of service you are in. If you are a Missionary member, though technically you may not be giving as much as a Family disciple, if you're doing your best in your level of membership, then that is "making it," that is pleasing Me, that is being the best Family member in your circle of membership that you can be.

70. "Making it" is not holding anything in your heart back from Me. "Making it" is letting your life burn on the altar of sacrifice for Me, no matter what your place of service. "Making it" is finding out what My will is for you, and then doing it with all of your heart. "Making it" is being a proficient doer of My Word, according to your responsibilities to Me in your category of membership. "Making it" is fighting to always move forward; it's never standing still. "Making it" isn't synonymous with perfection; it's a state of being where you're striving for more of Me and My Spirit in your life and doing your best for Me each day.

71. I want each person in My Family to "make it" for Me. I want every single Family member in every circle of membership to be the very best they can be for Me, because it will take every Family member doing their best and going the distance for the Family as a whole to "make it," to be the sample to the world that I need you to be, to fill the future role I have ordained for you to play. (End of message.)

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Steps of Preparation

72. (Jesus:) The best preparation for the changes that will come as a result of the restructuring of the Family, as well as the changes that I will ask of you personally, is twofold: return to your First Love, and be strengthened in My Word. If you have strayed from loving Me fervently and desiring Me above everything else, ask Me to help you return to your First Love. Ask Me to restore unto you the joy of your salvation. Make more time for Me. Fight to be close to Me. You must find that place of peace and perfect faith that you felt as a babe, when nothing else mattered but Me. Let Me lead you back there now.

73. Second‚ pray for a renewed hunger for My Word and a strong connection with it. The Words that I speak are spirit and life, but to fully receive this spirit and life, you must connect with these Words. When you only read My Word out of duty or for information‚ it will seem dull and lifeless to you. It will have an effect even then, but when you make a connection, it rings true in your heart, it thrills your soul, it spurs you to action, and you receive such an infilling of faith that nothing seems impossible, for nothing is! This is the secret of rising above power!

74. Then, once you have reestablished that connection, start working on what you already know are your weak areas. Don't worry about not being able to make the changes that are coming; just get busy changing and getting victories in the areas that you can work on today. Dig out My Words on each subject. Ask Me to help you get it in the spirit. Do your part, and I will do the rest.

75. As you see Me and My Word bring you needed victories, your faith will increase and you'll be ready to move on to bigger things, including the changes I am bringing about for the whole Family. Nothing succeeds like success, so gain spiritual momentum now by getting the victories you've long known you needed. The formula is the same as always:

* Realize you need to change.

* Find faith for the needed changes in My Word, and hear from Me in prophecy regarding them.

* Humble yourself before Me and others, confessing your need for My help and receiving united prayer.

* Ask Me to do the miracle.

* Let go of your bad habits and yield to Me.

* Do your part, and use all of the new weapons at your disposal‚ and I will do the rest. (End of message.)

Quote:

(Jesus:) Will you use this time to get strengthened and allow Me full control of your life? Will you let Me lead you each step of the way so that no matter what happens you can say, "The Lord is in full control, and I'm not worried about anything that may come, because I know it's good for me"? Let Me be there for you. Let Me be the One to worry, and to be your Protector and Savior.

Why We're a Gideon's Band

76. (Dad: ) I've come to give you a little word of encouragement about the Family and its future. Firstly, I want to ask you a question: Do you think I ever battled about the way the Lord was leading the Family, and even about the way the Family handled or enacted some of the revolutions and revelations the Lord gave? Of course I did. I often lay in bed at night and couldn't sleep, wondering if I had somehow failed, if I hadn't gotten the message right, or if the Family would ever find the right balance in applying the things the Lord showed me.

77. It's a difficult job being a prophet of the Lord, as Mama and Peter will attest. It's tough‚ but you've got a job to do and you can't shirk it, no matter what. You are responsible for the lives of your flock, and if you fail them, the Lord holds you accountable. When the Lord gives the Word‚ you've got to give it out, come what may. That doesn't mean you aren't human, or that you don't worry about how the Family will react to it, or what the outcome of the revelation will be; you are and you do. But as I learned‚ the Lord is the One Who is running this operation—not me‚ not Mama, and not Peter—and the Lord is the One Who knows what we need at each stage to keep us active, alive, moving, and being the revolutionary, called-out Family that He wants us to be at every level of membership.

78. One thing I knew while I was there with you on Earth, and something the Lord showed me even more clearly when I came to this side, is how it's all Him. It's not any human being who is dictating the way this Family should go, it's the Lord. He has a path mapped out for us—a very clear path, believe it or not. There are obstacles, there are battles along the way, there are lots of things to purge us and keep us close to Him and to make sure we stay on that path‚ but the path is clear. It's the path of our destiny.

79. Through the purges‚ our ranks often get thinner. We lose people we love, and that's heartbreaking. We cry, and the Lord cries. It's so sad when those we are close to choose to leave—to leave us and often to leave any form of service for the Lord. But we must go on, and the Lord can't slow the whole Family down for those who can't make it in the Family; He has a plan, a course, and if the Family is to fulfill its destiny it must stay on course.

80. One story that often encouraged me while I was there on Earth with you, when loved ones would leave, is the story of Gideon. I read that story many times. I even had that dream about "a meek and a quiet spirit" that came from the story of Gideon, and it encouraged me.

81. When we read the story of Gideon thousands of years later, it's easy for us to see the Lord's plan in it—at least part of the Lord's plan. You can see that He needed those who were in tune, desperate, yielded, willing to do crazy things, and not just headstrong in their own opinions, fearless, etc. And you see too that had they had thousands of men, they would have felt it was their own hand that saved them, or at least had a big part in it, and it wouldn't be a story that went down in history as an amazing miracle.

82. But just imagine at the time how they felt when those they loved had to leave; when those they were counting on to help them win the war decided to go back. Just think how some of them who stayed must've been mocked by those leaving for being so foolish as to stick it out. It looked like a suicide mission. But they felt called to stay, and God used them to do a mighty miracle and defeat their enemies.

83. So when we refer to ourselves as a Gideon's band‚ it's acknowledging the sacrifices that we had to make to forsake those we loved. It acknowledges the high calling the Lord has given us at every level of membership, and it should remind us of the desperation and on–guardedness we need to have to remain part of this Family.

84. Gideon's army went through tests, and each one knocked out thousands. We go through our tests as well, and we often lose many with each test, but that is the price we have to be willing to pay to remain true to our commission. Gideon's band became the elite troops of God's army, those who through many tests and trials endured to the end, and they were the ones who got to see the victory. How do you think those who left because they were too afraid felt after the victory, especially the ones who had mocked those who chose to stay?

85. So when you feel like‚ "Why stick it out in the Family when all those I love have left?" or "What is this all for anyway?—We keep losing so many, there must be something wrong with us and the way we do things‚" go back and read the story of Gideon and you will be encouraged. It's not because we don't care that we refer to ourselves as a Gideon's band. We do care about those who have left us. We care greatly; we feel the loss and it hurts. We've all gone through it and we know. But we are choosing to serve the Lord above anything else; we haven't let others' choices and decisions stop us from doing what we know is God's will for our lives, and that's why we are a Gideon's band.

86. So hold on! Know that the Lord has a plan and a place for you and a plan for the Family. It may be hard to see it right now, but through these tests and purges the Lord is going to win a mighty victory. I love you, and most of all Jesus loves you. He knows your hearts, and if you look to Him‚ He will help you make it through. (End of message.)

The Lamp of the Word

87. (Jesus: ) "My Words are a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path." The secret of finding your way, of knowing where to go next, and of arriving at My designated destination at the correct time, is using My Word to guide you, letting it be the light that cuts through the darkness and shows you the path to follow.

88. One interesting thing about a lamp or a light is that when you hold it, it shines on what is directly in front of you. It doesn't shine off into the distance where it doesn't benefit you—it shines about you, and as you move forward, the light reveals a little more of the way. That is why I've likened My Word to a lamp, because in order for the Word to really be effective in your life, you have to let it shine around you; you learn where you're going and then you follow, and as you do so, you see more and your path becomes clearer.

89. I love it when My children are faithful to follow the path the light of My Word reveals to them. There's a lot that you have to take by faith in reading it and absorbing it, not to mention making it an active part of your life. But the traveler making his way through the dark has to have the same amount of faith that his lamp is going to keep him on the right path. It's when he decides to find his course on his own that he ends up lost and unsure of where to go next.

90. But when he calls out to Me, I bring back the light to the traveler and set him on the right track. But it's not always easy, just like when you turn on a light in a darkened room. Your eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness, so even a small light that's not so bright will make you squint until your eyes adjust to it. It works the same way with My Word. When you're trying to make a habit of really absorbing it and getting the most out of it, it's quite a feat; not only because you're trying to form a new habit, but because the Enemy will do his best to deter you from making progress.

91. You must be determined enough to make the effort, even if it's a struggle, and like the man in the dark who is exposed to light finds it hard to adjust, if he makes the effort to open his eyes and doesn't settle for keeping them shut‚ then before long, slowly and surely‚ he doesn't have to squint anymore. He finds himself enjoying the light and realizing that he can see so much better now that he has a light to guide him.

92. My Word is that light in your life, and it takes effort to make a habit of opening your heart up to that light and absorbing it into every fiber of your being. The squinting man sometimes thinks it's too much effort to adjust to the light, and wants to just shut his eyes to relax; but if he holds out, he will adjust to the brightness of the light without needing to squint or blink excessively. Likewise, the more you expose yourself to My Word and to making it the priority in your life, the more ingrained the habit will become and the more you'll feel it coming alive in you.

93. You may figure that you still have a long way to go when it comes to solidifying the right Word habits, but one thing that's very helpful is to look back from whence you came and realize what a difference there is in your spiritual life and walk with Me since the Word revolution. By taking the time to evaluate where you have progressed and identify the areas where you have changed, then doesn't that encourage you to want to keep moving in the right direction?

94. One very important thing to realize, My loves, is that the Enemy is going to try and hit you with discouraging thoughts no matter how much progress you make. He looks for your faults and mistakes and exaggerates them to discourage you and make you think that perhaps you will never gain the victories I've promised.

95. I'm not saying that you should ignore taking note of the areas you could improve in, but you shouldn't let these things get you down. You shouldn't let the Enemy get the better of you when you struggle in certain areas. If there's an area you know you're weak in, then the thing to do is to take note of the problem, and then turn to Me and ask Me to show you how to work on these areas. Your reaction should be one of, "I acknowledge my shortcomings and I want to strive to do better, but I refuse to be discouraged by you‚ Satan! By the grace of God and through the power of the keys, I'm going to continue persevering and gaining victories."

96. Everyone stumbles‚ everyone falls, but it's those who continue to get up after they fall and keep walking forward who gain the victory. It's not that you'll one day have it down so well that the Enemy will call it quits and never attack you again. The Enemy is the accuser of the saints, and he comes in whenever he thinks he's got a little something on you‚ especially if it's a victory you've really had to fight for. He'll try to get you to take your eyes off of the goal and to look at all your faults and failings and mistakes of the past, telling you that you can't possibly make it, but you can't let him obtain that advantage over you. When you're climbing up that narrow, rugged mountain path, and he stands in front of you trying to obstruct you‚ reminding you about all the times you stumbled or fell en route, you don't have to listen to him. Push him aside. And if you find yourself in a tight spot, use the keys‚ and they'll help you to rise right above Satan and his obstruction, so that you can continue on your way.

97. Keep fighting the fight! Keep striving to follow the direction I lead, and be faithful to get any new directions I have for you, so that the light of My Word can continue to guide you, enlighten you‚ and show you the way. (End of message.)

Quote:

(Jesus:) If you give up while you're still climbing the mountain, you'll never reach the top. Rocks along the way are not problems but footholds that will take you to new heights and victories.

Follow Jesus into the Future, One Step at a Time

98. (Dad:) Every revolution, every change, is your ally. Changes can protect you from stagnation, from death on the vine. Changes will sweeten the wine that comes from the grapes of your life. It can give it the robustness that would be missing if the conditions were constant and never changed. Grapes need more than just sunshine in order to ripen to full maturity and to be the best for the winemaking that they are created for. So too, the Family—and each of you in the Family—needs changes in order to mature and to be the best you can be.

99. I don't know where this idea came from that everything is supposed to stay the same, or that changing things means something was wrong originally. This is the Devil's own song to try to get people into ruts, to get them to find a "comfortable" spot in their lives and then to want to sit there. God is a moving God; He loves to change things around! He made the seasons. He made growth. He didn't intend for people to remain as babies all their lives‚ He created a definite cycle of growth and movement and change in all of His creation, and as I've told you before, His creation is an illustration of His spiritual realm. He expects growth‚ change, and movement in the spirit as well.

100. Those who wish to keep it the "old way" are not going to want to change, to revolute, to find new ways to do things. These are the ones who moan and groan and fight the changes. It's pitiful how the Enemy gets in and frightens people so. He doesn't want the growth; he doesn't want the change. So he fights tooth and nail to somehow stop it, to either get people to quit, fight change, or belittle it in some way.

101. Think about it, folks. You know the Devil's tactics. You know how he'll take the opposite viewpoint of the Lord and he'll make change seem so unappealing, so difficult, and so ominous that you just can't bear the thought of it. But the Lord is the opposite. He loves to encourage you to take another step, to try something new, to look at His changes with an open heart and mind. He is the author of change, growth, and renewal. The Enemy is the author of decay, rot, stagnation, and finally death. Now, when I put it that way, which do you think you'd choose? There's no question, is there? It's just that the Enemy doesn't come right out and tell you where he's leading your thoughts, and sometimes you get confused.

102. You start to think of what might happen. Aha, there's your first problem‚ you're thinking about the future, taking thought for the morrow, and not just thinking of the wonderful things ahead but of all the negative things that could happen. This leads to worry‚ fear, and that unsettled feeling. What should you do with the future? You should ask the Lord to keep your heart in peace as you follow Him into the future. Should you ask Him to take you the whole way forward? You should ask Him to take you forward one step at a time. You only need the faith for today. Be faithful to follow today. Don't let the Enemy scare you before you even get to where you're meant to go. That's his tactic. He may tell you all sorts of things that "could" happen, but the Lord usually just leads you step by step, doesn't He? He'll give you faith for each step. He'll give you strength for each day. Hasn't He done this already? Don't you think He'll continue to do it? So trust Him! He will do it.

103. Remember that old saying? "He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing His truth can dim. God gives the very best to those who leave the choices up to Him." Well, that should be your vision. Leave the choices with the Lord. You just choose to follow Him, and He'll choose to care for you in every way possible, in every way imaginable. Give Him your heart, your soul, and your mind, and watch and see if He won't take it and use it in incredible ways. That's the whole vision for His heavenly possession, using His heavenly thought power; it comes through this yielding of self to Him. Try it and see if He won't come through for you.

104. This is an era of change‚ of movement‚ of growth. The Lord sees your heart, and if it's heading in the right direction‚ you're going to be just fine. You'll make it just fine—one step at a time, one day at a time. Yes, you need to commit long-term‚ and if that's your heart's desire, go for it, commit! Even if you're not sure if you can last till Jesus comes back, go for the commitment to desire to be willing, to desire to do it with all your heart, with all your life. Nobody can say for certain that they will remain faithful until death, but you can commit to being faithful unto death‚ because you commit to being faithful every day.

105. If it's too hard to think of being faithful for years and making it through years more, then just commit to being faithful daily. That still means you'll commit to the long term, but you've broken it down to what you actually have to do‚ and that is to take it a day at a time and let Him help you day by day. So give it a shot. If that's what your heart leads you to, then follow it every day and you will hear His, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord!" (End of message.)

Quote:

(Jesus:) Don't try so hard in your own strength to better yourself. Just do what you can and let Me do what you can't. Be a yielded vessel, and I'll help you to flow with the changes that come along. You won't be left behind, but you will blossom as never before in the light of My Spirit! You will be glad for the changes and any rough times you experienced, for they will have been what made you stronger.

Fight in the Spirit to Be Mine

106. (Jesus: ) I know your heart. I know you want to be part of this exciting Endtime movement. You want to be a Family member forever. No matter what your level of service, you want to be the best of the best for Me. You want to fight till the End. You want to really flow with all these new changes and keep up with all that I'm doing. You don't want to let Me down. You don't want to let your Family down. But you're afraid that you will. You're afraid that you don't have what it takes in this day and age, and that the challenges ahead will be too tough. You've been trying, and you want to keep trying, but you're afraid that no matter how hard you try, you won't make it. You're afraid that you'll fail. You're afraid that it'll be too hard, too tough to make the grade, and that either I or your leadership will reject you, and you'll lose your place of service. You're afraid that it'll be your fault‚ because you just weren't good enough and didn't do enough.

107. You're tempted now to get on a severe works trip, and start working as hard as you possibly can to do all the things that you hope will prove to Me, to others, and to yourself that you're good enough, that you're worth it, that you've got what it takes. My loves, I don't want you to feel you have to prove anything to Me. I know your heart, and I know where you're at. I appreciate your doing the things that you know are right, and I want you to do those things; but if you're just doing them to prove to Me and to others that you're "made of the right stuff," you're going to get things all mixed up and upside-down and backwards, and it's not going to work out the way you want it to.

108. I don't want you to fight to prove yourself for the purpose of proving yourself. I want you rather to fight to love Me and love others; to do the things that are pleasing to Me because you love Me and you want to make Me happy—not because you want to earn merit for yourself. If you are looking at it that way, you'll go about it all wrong and you'll fail. You've read in the Word how pride causes fear of failure, and therefore often causes failure; the reason for this is usually that‚ in trying so hard not to fail, you go about things wrong‚ in the arm of the flesh rather than in the spirit, and therefore you're leaving yourself no option but to fail‚ because I don't bless that.

109. I want you to try to reach the standard I'm setting for you personally, and I want you to fight, but I want you to try in the spirit and not merely in the flesh. Granted, you can't fight only in the spirit, because the fruits of the spirit will manifest themselves in the flesh and you do have to do some physical things as part of your obedience to spiritual principles. But the spirit has to come first. The spirit is the foundation I want you to build on. Work on your love relationship with Me. Work on your loving interactions with your brothers and sisters. Pray for and cultivate a mindset of unselfishness, of putting Me and what I want first—remembering that what I want is not always what you think I want—and then next putting others above yourself.

110. If you want to fight for your place in the Family at any level, don't fight to prove yourself; fight to find My will, and to give yourself to Me first and foremost. Give Me your love, which I desire above all‚ and give Me your will—for without it, I cannot make you into what I want you to be. When you have given Me all your love, the first place in your life, and your will to do with as I will, then you can have perfect peace and trust, knowing that I will help you become what you need to be.

111. Maybe what you need to be to fulfill My perfect will and find My perfect place for you is not what you think you need to be. Think about that. So if you go rushing off in your own spirit to try to make yourself into this better person so that you'll "make it," you might make yourself into the completely wrong person, and therefore end up not making it in the way you most desire, the way I know is best for you. So fight, yes, but fight in spirit to be Mine; don't fight in the flesh to try to earn your place or prove your worth. It will serve you much better in the end to fight to yield, to flow‚ to give Me all, and to trust Me fully. That is the best thing you can do to prepare for what is ahead, and the thing that will help you the most and take you the farthest. (End of message.)

The Guarantee of a Disciple

112. (Jesus: ) I want you to look forward with more joy, more excitement, more satisfaction, to the new things, the different things, I will bring into your life. All things will not continue as they were, not in My Family and not in your life. Changes have begun.

113. Your natural reaction is to fear or shun change, for you are a creature who loves stability and comfort; but the life of a disciple is not stable or comfortable in lifestyle. It is stable in spirit—more stable than anything else—because you have Me as your foundation, and I'm the only One stable enough to give the promise that "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world‚" and "I will never leave you nor forsake you." No one else can promise that. There is no other guarantee like that in the universe. That is the guarantee of a disciple. That is the "God factor" that you can believe in, trust in‚ and even stake your life on. (End of message.)

Preparing for a Glorious Future

114. (Jesus:) If you lose sight of the future and your focus is solely on the present, you can start losing touch with My big plan and agenda--the purpose for the battles, the purpose for everything that you go through. If it weren't for the future—the Endtime, the Millennium, and everything thereafter—everything you go through on Earth would be in vain. That's what it's all for, and in those days you will be so thankful you learned what you did and followed Me till the End.

115. That's what My restructuring of the Family is about—it's to bring about My Endtime church, My body of believers who will help prepare the world for the Kingdom of God on Earth. This time of strengthening the Family is to ensure that I will have a called–out, dedicated group of believers who will stand up for Me in the Last Days‚ who will stay true to Me till the End‚ and who will bask in My glory as their reward in the Millennium.

116. There is a greater purpose for the purging. It's not just to make the Family white and pure so that you can be a better testimony to Me today, but it's to prepare you and equip you for the days ahead. And part of the reason that the Endtime has been delayed is because My children have not progressed as quickly‚ and there have been compromises and sins that have slowed you down, thus hindering the spread of My Gospel throughout all the Earth and pushing back the days of Great Tribulation.

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117. (Question:) Can You tell us any more about why the Endtime has been delayed?

118. (Jesus:) As I have said many times before, when the End comes is determined by many things—the decisions of those in power and even the decisions of My children. Certain things are set in stone, such as the seven-year period of the End, but others are flexible according to the choices of man.

119. So the Endtime timetable is affected by the choices of My children. If you in My Family are to be My Endtime witnesses, you must be ready for it—and right now you are not, because of disobedience, compromise, complacency‚ lethargy and spiritual weakening. If the Family was more on the ball‚ stronger spiritually, and more obedient, things would be different.

120. There are certain things that must happen before the Great Tribulation, and how fast or slow they happen has a big bearing on the timeline. I work within certain boundaries of time, but there is leeway within those boundaries according to the choices of man—both men of the world and the children of David. (End of message.)

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121. So be thankful and rejoice that I am purging the Family, that I am strengthening the ranks, because it's for the purpose of preparing the way for My Kingdom on Earth. It's not just to make you all good and sanctified, but it's so that you will be more on-fire and dedicated to reaching others, and doing the things that will move you in the direction of the future, that will allow Me to move world events along faster, and allow the Enemy his chance to step in and play his part to bring the Endtime events to pass more quickly.

122. With a more dedicated Family at all levels, the witness of My truth will be spread abroad more zealously, and the Gospel preached more emphatically, and then can the End progress as I have ordained it to. But with the half–hearts, with the weaknesses and sins of the Family, and with those who were holding back and dragging others down‚ the work in many areas of the world had ground to a halt. This is why things cannot continue as they are—because I need My Endtime bridal church, those who are called out and chosen and following where I lead, those who will stand true till the very End, and be a part of My force to bring Heaven down to Earth.

123. The Millennium is going to be a glorious time, My loves, much more glorious than you can imagine. I've given you glimpses, foretastes of what it will be like. Things will be glorious, fulfilling, intriguing, fascinating‚ challenging and invigorating. My 1,000 years of peace on Earth are going to be glorious. In the beginning there will be a lot of work to do—people to save and train and teach and rehabilitate—but after much of the hard work is done, there will be great peace and surcease from the battles you fight today‚ as well as new horizons and challenges to thrill to, such as you can't even imagine with your carnal mind now.

124. It's the time we're all looking forward to—Me‚ the host of Heaven, and all the departed saints and angels. The physical world is already beginning to merge more with the realm of the spiritual‚ and in the Millennium you will be side by side, with those who are My children of the flesh and of the spirit living in harmony and understanding, and what a glorious day that will be.

125. So keep fighting, My loves! Keep doing what I show you, what I lead you to, and what I commission you to do every day. Keep progressing. Keep honing your gifts—the keys‚ prophecy‚ praise, asking Me everything, heavenly thought power, full possession, and the other many gifts I have given you. None of your honing and training will be wasted, because it's all going to be put to use when Heaven reigns over all—and even before, during the period of transition, which isn't that far away.

126. Much of the plan for Earth, the plan for My children, and the timetable is due to the choices of man—and not just the choices of worldly men, but also My children. Some choices delay the timetable; others push it forward. For you, My children, the choices that delay are choices to disobey, choices to withhold or not move forward. The choices that bring My timetable closer are choices of obedience, dedication, zealous preaching of My truth, and yieldedness to My will. (End of message.)

The Lord is in the Business of Improving Things

127. (Dad: ) I hate to be so blunt‚ but some people in the Family just need to have more guts. It's a soldier's life they are called to, and sometimes they just need to soldier on. A soldier doesn't just go from victory to victory. Victory is assured in this Family if we keep fighting, but the catch is, you must keep fighting!

128. There is often a lot of fighting between victories; I know no one likes to get wounded or hit in the melee, but the key is to not give up. You never have to give up. The other guy is a born loser and he is going to lose to you as long as you don't give up. You always have strength for another day, another hour, or even another minute. And it is in that time that you don't give up that the Enemy is done for. He is a dead dog, and you are destined to wave the flag of victory over his dead body!

129. To give us faith, let's look at a few battles from the time of the apostles. Jesus had not only been killed, He was ignominiously executed in plain sight of everyone in Jerusalem. My goodness, talk about an "obvious" defeat! Not only was the apostles' leader dead, but it was pretty obvious that they were probably next in line for the chopping block! Talk about despair. Do you think those few faithful followers who just a few days earlier had been enjoying the Passover with Him, thinking that He was now ready to really take His message to the very heart of Judah, that all those who were waving the palm branches were ready to back them up, who had just witnessed the most popularity the Boss had ever experienced a few short days before‚ weren't now in the deepest depression they had ever experienced?

130. Don't you think the Devil and his "good ol' boys" were on the job then too, to give those poor guys who had all, save John, deserted Jesus in His hour of need a good old working over? Talk about condemnation and despair! Talk about not wanting to hold on! Their ex–buddy Judas had committed suicide already, and some of the others weren't far from it, let me tell you!

131. But look what happened! Three days later they were on top of the world! Talk about euphoria. I mean‚ those guys and gals were ecstatic. The Boss was back and they had a future. It went from the blackest black to the brightest bright. If they had given up when the going looked so bleak, where would we be today? They really struggled, and the Devil was there with all his creeps giving them the worst hell of their lives.

132. But give those guys credit. They held on. They didn't jump ship. They fought, and look where it got them. Who's got their names written on the walls of the Heavenly City? Who's gonna sit on those 12 thrones judging the tribes of Israel? Why do you think they get such honor? Because they fought through and won the victory! They weren't quitters. Granted, they moaned and groaned and wailed for a bit, but they didn't stay there. In fact, they really started to pull each other through. They saw what a pit they were sliding into, basically digging it themselves by their despairing attitudes‚ and they stopped. If they hadn't, they wouldn't have run to the tomb on Sunday when they got word Jesus' body was missing. They were starting to get the picture, even though they gave Mary a hard time about Jesus being risen. They held on in spite of the pain and despair and they were rewarded.

133. So for goodness sake, hang on! Don't get your hair in a knot about all that seems to be looming before you. Buck up and go about your Father's business! The Family is in good hands, and it's going to be even better than before. The Lord is in the business of improving things. He wants the Family to be a better place for you, one in which you will be happy. He wants to give the best to you and He really has your best interests at heart.

134. Don't worry about the future, but look forward to it. The Lord is taking more of a hand in how He wants the Family to be, because when He left it to all of you to float your own faith‚ the result wasn't as good as He knew it could be or that it needed to be. There are good things coming for all of you! Just hang on and don't worry about the future‚ and especially don't get stuck in the present. I love you! (End of message.)

Embrace the New

135. (Jesus:) You've all seen the problems in the Family. You've all experienced them in one way or another. You've known that you haven't been all that you could be, both individually and as a Family. In spite of the obstacles, those of you with the fires of revolution burning within your hearts see and know and want to become what I want you to be. Many of you have even been praying for revolution, to break free from the old and embrace the new.

136. I am answering those prayers. I am moving the Family forward in ways that, although it will cost something for each individual, you will praise and thank Me nonetheless. I have not given up on you, My Family. I am personally committed to taking this Family forward. I have invested a lot of training in each of you and I want to see that used. I want to see you become all that you can be.

137. When the battles are heavy‚ when you're tempted to give up, think about the future. Think about the overall vision. That will give you the faith you need to keep going for Me, to keep making the little choices that I bring before you, to keep holding on, to keep strengthening your spirit.

138. Let the vision and the goals propel you forward when you think that you're not strong enough to go on. Let the future and the Endtime vision—and My vision for you personally—be the motivation you need to keep on going for Me. If you're unclear on what My personal vision is for you, then ask Me. Ask Me what I see for you in your future‚ what I want you to become for Me, the man or woman I see you becoming.

139. I have a special plan for each of My brides. If you lack motivation, come before Me and ask Me to speak to you concerning My vision for you, and I will. It will be an encouragement to you and will help you to hold on through the rough times. (End of message.)

Relish the Battle

140. (Jesus:) Rejoice as a strong man to run a race. Relish the battle as Patton did. He loved the challenge and opportunity to defeat the enemy, regardless of the circumstances. Be as Samson, who in a "hopeless" situation did not submit‚ but rather used his "misfortune" to do more damage to his enemies in his death than he did in his lifetime.

141. Don't get sidetracked into just fighting discouragement, but fight the Enemy himself. Discouragement is just a tool of the Enemy. Fight the Enemy, not just his devices. Sometimes you get so into trying not to be ignorant of his devices that you forget that your fight is with the Ol' Boy himself.

142. Your Father David said, "If you don't get alone with the Lord and lick the Devil first, you might as well forget it!" (ML #74:26). So get alone with Me, and let's take on the Devil face to face. He doesn't stand a chance! And certainly don't forget the "we" part in this battle‚ for without Me—and you're not a "we" without Me—you can do nothing.

143. Be not fearful and unbelieving, but be full of My joy and victory‚ for we have already won. Just endure till the end. Don't give up. Don't be conned by the great con artist into handing over the victory. Don't negotiate with the Enemy, because there's nothing to negotiate. He's a loser‚ defeated. Only his unconditional surrender will do.

144. Be as Joshua, who at My command utterly slew his enemies. You must be militant when it comes to your fight with the Enemy! If you are a friend of the world (and of the god of this world), you are My enemy. What could be clearer than that? Did I say, "Give not too much place to the Enemy"? No. Let Me spell it out for you again: Give no place to the Enemy! Not an inch, a millimeter, an iota, not even half of a half of a half of a millimeter—not even one yoctometer [1 septillionth of a meter]!

145. Your Father David was uncompromising with the Enemy, and while this caused him to be more of a target and more hated by the Enemy‚ it was also his victory. He went over the top, and therefore engaged and infuriated the Enemy‚ but he had Me, his Big Brother by his side. The Enemy will not mess with Me. He tried that and more than failed—he simply fulfilled prophecy and confirmed his place as a loser.

146. This is the Endtime. The apostle Peter said, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (1Pet.4:12). You are in My army. You've been trained to fight and to go to war. But you are on the winning side.

147. I use the weak, the frail, the poor, but only if they let Me make up for their weakness, frailty, and poverty—not if they hold on to it. Forsake the beggarly elements! Forsake self! Let Me empower you and let Me fight for you—and for My sake, please be strong in Me and the power of My might. Don't be easily shaken! Be a proud soldier, wearing My uniform, armed with My weapons, following My orders, preparing the world for My return and takeover. How can you be killed when you have eternal life? How can you lose when it is ordained that you will be victors with Me? Endure till the end. Fight till the end. You're to be dead to self. If you're dead in Me, then I live in you (Col.3:3; Rom.6:8). If so, I am the One responsible for you‚ but I cannot work around a lack of faith, around doubt‚ negativity and self.

148. Get alone with Me and together we can knock the Devil for a loop and overcome the weights and sins that so easily beset you. Let's march on in and not let the gates of Hell prevail [withstand] against our mission to set the captives free. But in order to set the captives free, you can't be a voluntary captive or prisoner of war. Instead, be a veteran soldier in the field, ready to obey, and especially ready to attack and even give your life for the cause.

149. "For [your] light affliction"—repeat, light—"which is but for a moment‚ worketh for [you] a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2Cor.4:17). And that's life with Me and those you have liberated. I love you, and together we will make it through all trials and tribulations and come out victorious. I love and admire you for following Me in these Last Days.—Jesus. (End of message.)

It's Only Going to Get Better

150. (Dad: ) Those of you who have been around a long time know that with each batch of changes, with each new revolution, you've been able to make it. You have found that if you don't give up‚ but keep taking the steps of faith that the Lord challenges you with‚ He has always been there to uphold you. You've found over and over again that the Lord is always true to His Word, and He will keep you as long as you keep going for Him.

151. Psalm 37 says, "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." So if you keep taking in the New Wine, "the law of your God," you know He will keep you from falling. If you admit your faults and failings and determine to keep going for the Lord, as you have in the past, you know from experience that He will take you from that point and help you turn around or do whatever you need to do to start heading in the right direction again—the Lord's direction for you personally. He will help you make that renewed effort to change and start making progress again in the areas where you have fallen short.

152. You also know from experience that the Enemy will come in and tell you that you can't do it‚ and try to get you worried and fearful. So why bother listening to him? You know from the past that the Devil's always been wrong and the Lord's been right, so why should this time be any different? You know the Lord wants to get you back to the basics, the true principles of what you joined His army for. You know that from time to time you stray from those basic fundamentals and you have to make a renewed effort to get back to them and truly live them again, so why should this time be any different?

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(Jesus: ) In these days it's very important to believe and trust Me. These coming days will be good for you, not bad. They will make you stronger. They will do to you that which you cannot do on your own. They'll give you the strength and trust that you need. They will be days of listening to Me and practicing trusting Me for everything.

153. You might as well accept this time of change and growth for the Family and know that it's for your good, as it's always been, and then you can even look forward to it, knowing it will only result in you doing better for the Lord. It will bring you closer to being the dedicated bride He wants you to be, so why not determine to be challenged by it and look forward to doing it with all your heart? Then you will save yourself all that fear and worry about not making it.

154. A lot of times it's easier said than done, but why not think about it and bring it before the Lord and claim His keys of dedication and commitment, the keys of strength and determination to be willing to do whatever it takes to get back on track yourself, and also to be a help with getting your Home and work back on track and right in the center of the Lord's will, according to the level of membership He is showing you you're best suited for at this time. Why not ask the Lord to give you that mindset right from the beginning? Then really focus on keeping your mind and heart centered on the Lord‚ and I know He will help you through this time of restructuring and strengthening.

155. You should be excited that the army of the Family is going to get back to what you expected it to be—a bunch of sold–out revolutionaries for Jesus! During this period of restructuring, you are going to be presented with some more training opportunities that will help you be a better soldier, which is your goal, so why not accept it and try and get the most out of it? If you look at this time of change in a positive way, you're going to make it much easier on yourself.

156. If the Lord didn't know that you would make it and expect it of you, He never would have asked it of you. It's only going to get better—your job, your life, your relationship with your Boss. So why not go for it with all you've got and see what happens? (End of message.)

The Family Will Grow Like Never Before

157. (Dad:) Changes are good for the Family. They always have been. There must be change‚ movement, and forward progress if we are to remain the dropped-out‚ dedicated Family that the Lord has called us to be. This is an exciting time to be in because of all the wonderful fruit that will be borne as a result of people dedicating themselves once again to being 100% for Jesus.

158. I know many of you are apprehensive about change‚ wondering if you have it within you to make it, to be able to break free from your old ways of doing things. You all have sins and areas that you've grown weak in, but don't let that stop you from making the changes that the Lord is asking of you. You can make it if you really want to; the Lord has promised that, and has given you the wherewithal to make it with the power of the keys‚ the spirit helpers who have been revealed, and the guidance in the Word on how to use these weapons.

159. In the days to come, the Family will make terrific progress and grow like never before! We'll win and reach the world like never before, and the Enemy will be set back like never before! The Family is moving forward, and the things the Lord has promised will be fulfilled.

160. Before a great harvest can be reaped, the field has to be cleared and plowed, then the seed sown. And the reapers have to be dedicated and faithful to reap, otherwise the harvest will be lost. This is what the Lord is accomplishing now—getting the Family ready to reap the great and mighty harvest before the dark days are upon you.

161. The Family has all that they need to fulfill the Lord's call to reach the world and to make disciples of all nations, to activate them, and to bring them into His fold. But many of you have grown weary with the daily struggle and are on the verge of giving up. But this change, this spark, this challenge will be just what you need to rekindle your fire, to fan your flame back into a roaring blaze!

162. Many people, when it comes to change, are like a man trying to start a fire in the dead of winter. They have the kindling under a pile of wood and they're trying to light it, but they keep shielding the little flame from the wind rather than letting it help them fan the fire. The winds of change are good; they're what keep the fire alive and burning. So it is with you, dear ones. The winds of change will never blow out your fire; they will only fan it and cause it to grow as you continue to feed the flame with the fuel of the Word. As long as you believe and receive the Word, even if you have to pray, "Lord, I believe‚ help Thou my unbelief," He will, and He'll help you through this change once again.

163. The most comforting thing is knowing that you can't do it by yourselves, that it is the Lord Who will help you to change and to make progress as long as you put your will on His side. He has promised to never leave or forsake you, and believe me‚ He never will! As long as you stay true to the Lord, true to the Revolution, and true to His Word, you will make it!

164. We're all here waiting to help you in any way you need help. All you have to do is to call for reinforcements when you feel things are getting too tough or difficult and we'll help you make it. All the Enemy can do is to try and get you to doubt, worry, or fear. He can't force you to fail; you have the power to make it if you just keep your eyes on the Lord. So don't give doubt or worry any place; keep your eyes on Jesus and He'll pull you through. (End of message.)

Don't "Fold" with a Winning Hand

165. (Jesus:) The Enemy is a gambler and is always trying to bluff you out of the reward that is rightfully yours. He doesn't want you to make the winning choice of fully committing to Me, and he knows that if he can remind you enough of your mistakes, failures, or problems‚ then he will have a pretty good chance of getting you to fold. Right now‚ looking at your hand, you have all the aces, but the Enemy is trying to get you to doubt your hand.

166. I have given you the power of the keys--the keys of praise to blast away the Enemy's doubts, the keys of full possession so that when you feel weak I am able to come through, the keys of imprisonment that keep the Enemy locked away and your mind free from his lies, the keys of entrapment that inflict damage on the Devil and his minions whenever they are near, and the keys of enhanced faith that enable you to rise above any obstacles to see the victory at the end of the battle. But of course the Enemy doesn't want you to use these weapons. He is trying to keep your mind full of other things—doubt, worry, remorse over past failures, human weaknesses, etc. And the more you listen to him, the less My power will be able to help you.

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167. (Question: ) What are the keys of entrapment? Are they different than the keys of imprisonment?

168. (Jesus: ) Often the keys' areas of power overlap—and such is the case with these keys: the keys of imprisonment and the keys of entrapment.

169. The keys of imprisonment have a specific purpose‚ as I have shown you. (See "Obliterate Obstacon," ML #3434:15-16, GN 1017.) The keys of entrapment are slightly different. They do not imprison you in a force field of protection‚ as do the keys of imprisonment. The keys of entrapment work like land mines. When you call on them, I plant bombs in the spirit that will explode with power to destroy the power of the Enemy or his demons when they come near you. The keys of entrapment work like booby traps, to ensnare the Enemy when he's on the prowl, when he's walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, or when he's attempting to attack you.

170. You can use the keys of entrapment and imprisonment together. The keys of imprisonment erect the force field of protection, and the keys of entrapment catch the Enemy unaware and inflict damage on him and his minions whenever they start to come near you. (End of message.)

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171. You have to call the Enemy's bluff, the "it can't be done" spirit, and challenge him to stand up against the power of the keys! Never fold or believe that there's no hope! I have promised that you can and will make it as you hold on to Me. Don't look at the waves; keep your eye on the goal ahead of you, the goal I have given you personally, and the victory that awaits you if you don't quit.

172. Your mind is where the Enemy fights you the hardest. He knows that if he can get you to doubt or fear in your mind, then your body will follow. If he can get you to think that I will fail you or that you can't make it, then he will begin to build on that thought until you believe it.

173. So don't give the Enemy even an inch. Don't let him in for a second, or believe his lies, or even try to rationalize them to see if they're true. Just believe what I have promised and you will make it! (End of message.)

Finding Your Place

174. (Jesus:) This is a time of strengthening the Family, and everyone wants to be strengthened. Everyone has areas in which they need to grow and change, so that is what I am bringing about now. This will be more than a change; this will be a renewal for each of My brides, a chance to be washed clean from the things that hold them back. I am bringing about this change so that each one who wants to go forward for Me can and will.

175. This restructuring is about living the life, walking the walk, and talking the talk of a 100% dedicated Family member, no matter what your membership status. There will no longer be any question in your mind—or in the minds of others—where you stand, for everyone will know. They will see it in your life, in the things you talk about, and the fruit that you bear as the result of a closer connection with Me. Others will see it in your witness, the fire and dedication to Me and My message‚ and they will be drawn to that. Those who desire to have this same fire in their heart will band together, and thus the Family Homes at all levels will be communities of on-fire‚ dedicated members who are going somewhere for Me.

176. Those who decide that they want a life that is less demanding, or that allows them to follow other pursuits, will also find those who have like goals, and thus the Homes will not be in contention as to where they stand. The standard of each Home will be set by the members of that Home according to the requirements for that level of membership, and those who have a different standard will find a place that suits them; thus the Homes overall will be happier and more fruitful. This is something that will bring about greater happiness in the Family, for each person will find where they belong and serve Me as much as is required at that level.

177. Each one must choose where they stand and actually fulfill the requirements of that level. This will be upheld across the board at each level of membership, so that there won't be doubt in anyone's mind as to what is required. Though this may sound difficult now, it will all become clear as time goes on and as each one seeks Me as to where they belong. I bring along these things in love, and it is in love that they will be implemented. So do not fear, but have faith that all things are in My hand, and as you obey and follow My plan for your life, you will find the happiness and fulfillment that you seek. (End of message.)

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178. (Question:) You said in the previous message, "This restructuring is about living the life, walking the walk, and talking the talk of a 100% dedicated Family member, no matter what your membership status." Is it correct that we can be a 100% dedicated Family member and be fully committed, even if we're not in the FD category?

179. (Jesus: ) Being fully committed is yielding fully to everything that I ask of you. So if I'm not asking you to be in the FD Family right now, because I know that you're better suited for another level of membership at this time, then being in the FD Family is not something I'm asking you to yield to. Thus, fully committing for you would mean not fighting to be an FD member when it's not My will for you. Fully committing would mean yielding to being in the MM Family and giving that your very best shot. If it were My will for everyone in the Family to be FD members, then I wouldn't have created any other levels of membership.

180. If My will is for you to be in the MM or FM Family, and I've made that abundantly clear to you personally—as well as through the mouths of other witnesses—then that's My will for you‚ and in yielding to My will with your whole heart, you will be fully committed to Me at the level of service where I have placed you. However, if you are in the MM or FM Family and that's not My will for you and not where I have placed you, then how can you fully commit to Me? If I want you in the FD Family, if I'm asking more of you but you're not willing to give Me more, then you're not fully committing because you're not fully yielding.

181. Each Family member can be fully committed‚ if they choose to be, at every level of service—FD, MM and FM. Being fully committed to Me is simply finding out what My will is for your life at this time, and fully yielding to it. (End of message.)

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If You Want It, You've Got It!

182. (Dad: ) I know what a lot of you are going through right now and I feel for you, because I went through it too when big changes were in the air. At times when I was at the helm of the Family down there and I heard what the Lord was telling me to do, some big new change or direction He was leading me to make in the Family‚ I would get worried about it, and the Lord would have to scold me and help me to have the faith for it. Well, I'm not scolding you now, because you've already got the general picture of how the Family has to turn around to get shipshape again.

183. But I want to remind you of some of the things the Lord and I taught you while I was there with you, some of those MO Letters I wrote to you about not worrying about the future and what lies around the bend in the road. I want you to get out some of those old Letters and reread them and let those wonder working Words increase your faith that God is in control and that you don't have to worry or fear the future. (Note: See reading list at the end of this GN for some ideas of Letters to read along this line.)

184. Reread that oldie-goldie‚ "For God's Sake, Follow God!" and it'll encourage your heart and help you to have the faith to just follow step by step in the Lord's footprints, where He's leading you, one day at a time. He knows the right path and will take care of everything if you'll just trust Him and follow.

185. My goodness, how many revolutions has the Lord led our Family through in the years since we began? Did you make it through those revolutions? Has He failed you yet? Didn't He always pull you through, keep you, strengthen you, and help you in each of your trials and doubts and fears about what would happen to you and whether or not you would make it? Well, He's the same Lord, the same faithful and loving Husband right now at this stage of the game; He's just as trustworthy as He was then. He's even more desirous than ever to help you pull through this next phase of the battle, because the situation with the future and survival of His Family is more crucial than ever as we grow closer and are actually entering the Endtime spiritual war zone.

186. The Enemy of your souls would love nothing more than to get you to lie down and quit right now at this most important time when the Lord needs a strong, tight Gideon's band of sold-out followers and crack green berets to fight the Endtime battles that are coming. The Devil will try to get you worried and confused and discouraged so that you'll give up before you've even tried. He'll try to scare you out with doubts and fear of the unknown. He'll try to make you fear that you won't be able to make it. But don't listen to him! Rebuke him and all his boos and bluffs, and claim the keys of faith and conviction and send him back to Hell where he belongs! Stand up to him, and don't fall victim to his lies and doubts and fears. He's no match for our Husband and the keys!

187. All Heaven is with you, and waiting for your call so that they can rush to your side to strengthen you for this battle! I'm still helping you from here in the heavenly realm, and all your spirit helpers and heavenly angels and warriors are at your side the minute you call. If you want it, you've got it! (End of message.)

Go the Distance

188. (Jesus:) There are changes to be experienced and victories to be won that will change your life‚ but it's up to you and the choices you make. Your human determination and resolve will only get you so far, but the energy and power of the spirit—coupled with your will and steps of obedience and yieldedness—will thrust you further. You can choose to just hold on for as long as possible, but why just hold on when you could actually climb and scale peaks? Why tread water to survive when you can swim and really go places? Why sit and simply enjoy the scenery when you can run and explore places you've never been before?

189. Contrary to what your mind tells you, I'm not trying to put you in a box; I'm trying to open your box and expand your horizons. I'm not trying to tie you up in chains of conformity; I'm attempting to release you from the chains that bind you. I'm not trying to hold you down, pull you back, or dump a bucket of cold water on your beautiful life; I'm hoping to lift you up, thrust you forward, and spike your life with more of the warmth of My Spirit. But it's all in how you look at it, the choices you make‚ and how much you're willing to give Me to work with.

190. Give your all, according to the place of service I have shown you is My will! Go the distance, and see if I won't meet you halfway. I will if you will. (End of message.)

Personal Preparations

191. (Jesus:) These are your personal days of preparation. These are your days of preparing to be part of the elite and called-out corps that I am planning for My Family to be. You know what is on the horizon, you have seen the signs pointing toward increased commitment, and you have heard the trumpet call. Through the instruction I have already passed on to you via your queen and king, you know which way the winds of change are blowing, and you are now responsible and accountable for what you do with this knowledge.

192. Knowledge is to know something, but wisdom is to make the right choices on account of the things you know and according to My will, to take the right action at the right time and place. Wisdom for you lies in preparing your life for the purges and changes to come.

193. The best preparation you can have is to be empty of your own ideas, to let go of the things that you want to hold on to, and to be empty of your own righteousness, of the things that you think you're already doing well in. You just need to be empty and want what I want, and be prepared to follow wherever I will lead and do whatever I will ask.

194. Now is the time that you can prepare by making the right choices every day. Give Me the forum to speak to you by going slow enough and caring enough to let Me talk, and then having the love for Me and obedience to follow through on whatever it is that I may show you.—And if it's something you think you'll have trouble following through on, then make sure to place safeguards or checks around yourself that will ensure that you do so.

195. These are your days of preparation, to get ready to pass whatever tests I will have for you‚ to get ready to place whatever I ask of you on the altar and sacrifice it for Me in order to serve Me at the level of membership that is My will for you.

196. The most useful things that you can do to prepare, to get ready for the challenging changes that I'm bringing about are:

197. * Be yielded. Practice putting My will before your own.

198. * Be obedient. Do what you know is My will for today, what I have already asked you to do in the Word

199. * Be open. Listen for My directions, follow My lead, and don't go off on your own tangents.

200. * Be free. Don't get entangled in your old yokes of bondage.

201. * Be positive. Don't let the Enemy scare you out before you start. Know that you can do all things through Me, and through the power of the keys.

202. The last one—be positive—is important. You can't let the unknown scare you. You have to keep the faith, and know that if you're doing your best, by being humble and yielded enough to let Me do My best through you, then it's enough. If you're being obedient, then you will receive the blessing. There's no chance that if you're trying hard to be the best follower of Me you can be in your realm of service, that you won't make it. If you want to be a member of My army, if you want to be the best in the level of service that is My will for you‚ you can do it. I can do it through you, and the keys will help you.

203. Negativity and condemnation will try to enter in, to get you to cast away your confidence, to become afraid of what's coming‚ and to react in a, "What's the point in trying? Let's just eat, drink‚ and be merry while we still can" kind of way. But you can't let that happen. You can't waste your days of preparation in a "who cares" frame of mind, because you're afraid that you might not make it. Stay positive. Know that you can do it‚ if you have Me with you. Remember that you can't, but I can‚ and together we will. Don't think you will; know you will. (End of message.)

Gear Up and Strengthen Your Faith

204. (Jesus:) If I care for each sparrow and not one falls to the ground without My knowledge, and if I provide for the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field, I will surely care for each of you. My loves, the very hairs of your head are numbered. So don't worry and fret about what's to come. Don't let the Enemy get in with his scare tactics and tempt you to jump ship before the battle. Get on board and really gear up for the changes and the fight ahead. It will be a battle, but it will be worth it, and it'll be a challenge. It will even be fun in some ways! If you enjoy fighting the Devil and want to send him running—and you really should—then you'll like what's coming, because you're going to get lots of chances to whack him here, and knock him there, and send him flying back. It's going to be a real victory for those who are in on this fight.

205. I won't send more than you can manage. I might stretch you, and I might give you more than you think you can manage. But that's where faith comes in. If you think you can do it, where's the faith in that? You've got to trust that the victory is in Me. And as long as you keep fighting to overcome, I will keep winning through you.

206. Don't let Satan weaken you through his doubts and discouragement. Now's the time to gear up and strengthen your faith through the Word and time with Me. Make good use of the time before this restructuring so that you will be ready for the things that I ask of you. Put your energy to use, and don't waste it on worrying and fretting. Focus your priorities on getting your heart right with Me and making sure your spiritual foundation is solid in every way. (End of message.)

The Heavenly Picture

207. (Jesus:) You see yourself as such a hopeless sinner‚ and the Family is still full of problems, so you ask yourself, "What's the use? Why keep fighting if we're never going to get it all right till we get to Heaven, and even then…?" I understand your hearts. It's the short-term earthly vision that really gets you‚ because you aren't seeing the heavenly picture. You aren't seeing things through My eternal vision. You are looking at this time in your life as "all you've got." You want to enjoy it and make good use of it as much as you can, and all this "improvement" business can get a little tiresome and make you feel like, "What's the point?"

208. The point is that your time on Earth is just a small pinpoint in eternity. It's a tiny train stop of a few years when put into the timeline of infinity. And yet this stop is one of the most important times in your existence. It's the only place that you will be able to do certain things and learn and grow in certain ways. I need you for this time period. I need My Family to be in position for the final battle against evil on Earth. You are the troops I am depending on, and if you can't fulfill this place, I will have to find someone else who will take up your crown.

209. Don't give in to the feelings of hopelessness. Don't let the carnal vision clouding your eyes make you feel that you should just give up. There is an end in sight. Yes, there will be more battles. There will be future lessons and tests. But through these changes in the Family and the restructuring, there will be definite change and progress.

210. So take heart and put your full weight behind these new moves and changes. Put My Words into action, make a commitment, and claim the victory I want to give you. Reach out for it, My loves. Determine to take hold of the crown that I am placing before you, and you will. (End of message.)

Quote:

(Jesus:) I want you to give yourself to Me fully, to let Me be the One in full control. That way I can do whatever I need to in your life‚ and you will be better for it.

P.S. Have a Personal Reason for Commitment

211. (Mama:) As I was working on this GN‚ a dear SGA woman sent me a very good message from the Lord that she had received when battling with her place in the Family. I wanted to publish it, because I know that the Enemy attacks many of you with similar battles, and will most definitely be using similar tactics in the days ahead. When I asked the Lord about including her prayer and prophecy here for you, even though it wasn't specifically along the lines of this GN, He gave His approval.

212. He said that the Enemy isn't going to be sitting back and twiddling his thumbs while the Family is strengthened and restructured. With such monumental, life-improving, wonderful changes in progress, of course the Enemy is going to fight. He's going to fight each individual. And since his ultimate goal is to stop us from serving the Lord, of course he's going to attack with thoughts of quitting. So please don't be surprised or condemned if you're fought in this way, dear ones. Simply realize it as the attack that it is‚ put on your fighting gear, and then wield the keys and the weapons of the spirit to counterattack and win the victory!

213. As the Lord said in a message earlier in this GN: "When you get attacked in things that concern your faith and your future in the Family, of course you can feel very bad that those things happen. You wish you could be stronger, but through this weakness you will be. My strength can be perfected in your weakness if you will realize that it is an attack of the Enemy, and as such it can be overcome; it can be defeated through any number of the weapons that are placed at your disposal."

214. (Prayer: ) Lord, the last couple of days I've felt somewhat attacked in the spirit with thoughts and feelings that I haven't had for a while. The feelings are of just sort of biding my time before I leave, that I don't want to be in the Family much longer. It's been a bit of a struggle for me the last couple of days‚ feeling that I'm only in the Family because it's all I know, and not because I'm positive that this is what I want to do. All my life I've just flowed with the momentum of things, and it brought me to where I am now. But here I am. The years are flying by. I'm getting older, and I wonder if this is really what I want. Sometimes I feel that I'm just going through the motions, and I'm not really meant to be here.

215. What appeals to me most about leaving the Family is being able to make money for myself, have a good job, see how far I can get in the world. I would also like to not have to fight spiritually and constantly be on the attack in the spirit, keeping my spirit clean and staying up-to-date with all that comes with our spiritual lives and walk with the Lord.

216. The thoughts that snapped me out of it when thinking about my life and what I might do if I were to leave were, "Okay, I get a boyfriend, a good job‚ make money, put my daughter in school … but then what?" What's it all for? What would I be living for? When I think it out long-term, it sounds so pathetic. In the Family I have a reason for living, even if I don't always remember that. I have a reason, and it's not just about me. There is a purpose, and it's to serve You. Another thing is that I think of my daughter and her fervor for witnessing, and how much she loves that. She has a passion for souls; by leaving the Family, I would kill that passion, and I just can't do that!

217. Anyway, Lord‚ I'm really thankful that You turned the light on in my heart. I'm thankful it didn't take long. But I also want to bring this all to You, because I want to get Your mind and Your counsel for me in all of this. I want to know why I was hit with this now, and what my attitude toward these types of feelings and thoughts should be.

218. (Jesus: ) I'm so happy you're bringing this to Me. Even if you do have a victory and the key has been turned in your heart, it's still good that you're coming to Me and asking Me about it. It's good, because each time you bring these things to Me I'm able to help you, to give you some more counsel, some little treasure or jewel that will help you next time around.

219. Yep, that's right!—This isn't the last time you'll feel this way. Others have times when they feel this way as well, and they face these battles, these struggles, choices, and decisions. It's something you'll continue to face. It's not something that you'll get a victory over once and for all; it's something that you'll continue to face as long as you live. You have to realize that it's really an attack of the Enemy, but it's one that I allow, because you have to make your calling and election sure. And as you have seen, if you give the Enemy enough rope‚ he'll hang himself. He thought that by getting you to think it all through he'd get you hooked even deeper. But the reality was that by actually stopping to think about leaving the Family from the beginning to the end‚ you realized how futile it would be. It's not that I always want you to do that, but in this case it was important.

220. You have to be convinced in your heart, and you have to have a personal reason for being in the Family. You can't go on the reason you had when you were 14, 18, 20, or any other age, for that matter. You have to know now that this is My plan for you, and if you need some reason, something to back it up‚ so be it. I know you can't just have some airy‚ fairy, pie-in-the-sky reason; it doesn't hold a whole lot of water when you're being attacked‚ because the Enemy comes in with very logical and reasonable ideas, suggestions, and plans. So you need to have that conviction in your heart and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the life for you‚ and there will be that key, that one thing that you will know you could never give up. And what really did it for you this time was your daughter, that you want her to be raised as a missionary. And also just realizing that all your life you were raised with the knowledge that you were doing something for someone else, that you were living your life for others, and that's what keeps you going.

221. If you don't have that kind of purpose in your life, everything else will seem so meaningless, so empty. I let you experience a glimpse of that emptiness, that meaninglessness when you were thinking about it today. I let you feel what it would be like to only live for yourself and not have Me and others to live for. Sure, you might be able to get things, gadgets, clothes, and whatever else you want, but it would be so hollow, so meaningless, and so empty. You've never had an experience like that before, where you actually felt the futility of it all, so I gave you a glimpse of what it's like—just a glimpse into that feeling—and it served the intended purpose. In a minute, just like that, you snapped out of it. You realized‚ "What on earth am I even thinking about this for?"

222. So don't be condemned that you felt the way you did. It wasn't a long or drawn–out thing, and I punched through and helped you see it for what it was—an attack of the Enemy. I'm glad you brought it to Me, though, because I have been able to articulate exactly what I did for you and how I brought about the victory.—And it is truly a victory!

223. There is a lot happening in the spirit right now, and the Enemy is trying everything he can to defeat you, to bring you down, and if one thing doesn't work, he'll try something else. I am moving and working and winning so many victories and punching through in so many ways, both in your personal life and in general in the Family, that the Enemy is desperate. He realizes how completely defeated he is and he's grasping at straws, trying anything to get you to quit‚ to get you to cave in. But I showed it to you for what it is, and you were able to see right through it all.

224. So keep fighting‚ keep looking to Me, and I'll continue to see you through all that is ahead. And very importantly, keep bringing these questions, these things to Me. Even if the test or the feeling passes, still bring it to Me for any input or counsel I might have for you. It always helps when you do. When you bring it to Me, any victory is more firmly ingrained, because I'm able to verbalize it for you, which makes it more tangible and real. (End of message.)

Letter Links

*"For God's Sake, Follow God!" (ML #4, Vol.1)

*  "All Things Change, But Jesus Never!" (ML #6, Vol.1)

* "Beauty for Ashes" (ML #114, Vol.1)

* "Old Bottles" (ML #242, Vol.2)

* "To Be Faithful Unto Death" (ML #1717, GN Book 20)

* "Our Anchor Holds!" (ML #2587, Lifelines 19)

* "Changing Deeply Ingrained Habits and Mindsets" (ML #3324, GN 929)

* "You Can Make It!—Part 1" (ML #3277‚ GN 880)

* "The Era of Action!—Part 2" (ML #3289:186-190, GN 883)

* "The Action Series!—Part 2" (ML #3301:189-191, GN 903)

* "The Action Series!—Part 3" (ML #3308:7-18, GN 908)

Copyright © 2004 by The Family

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