Shooting Straight, Part 12—Letter Links: Hanging Out in the Family!

May 11, 2005

Table of Contents

(ML #3534, GN 1125)

FD/MM/FM August 2004

The Action Series, Part 1

ML #3298:77-93, GN 895

77. (Peter:) We all know that the Family as a whole still has major weaknesses and lacks. All the problems the Lord exposed in "The Shakeup 2000" and "More on the Shakeup 2000" have not been fully resolved. Mama and I still receive letters and reports about problems, some of which are serious‚ that continue in the Family, in spite of the fact that we've been trying to work on them for years. We know the Lord has done His part by pouring out a volume of counsel about most of these weak areas, which Mama and I have published for you. Still, many of these problem areas persist. They've caused many of you to become discouraged, feeling that the Family is falling apart or that something is fundamentally wrong with our movement.

78. We asked the Lord why‚ if the individuals in the Family are growing and stronger spiritually and are better able to take on personal responsibility, are there still serious inner-Family conflicts and problems‚ which have weakened the Family's unity and cohesiveness as a whole. In the following message, the Lord clearly puts into perspective how He sees these things.

79. (Jesus speaking:) The era of action officially began with the year 2000. I christened this new time of history with the outpouring of a greater anointing for the children of David. Those who chose to remain in the CM Family, who signed the Charter membership contract, and who were willing to make the commitments required to be My full–time disciples as defined in that contract, were those upon whom I poured out My blessing. As they knelt before Me in humility at the time of the Birthday Feast on the eve of the new year, so was poured out the greatest washing, renewing and empowerment you have yet received.

80. In the spirit, this was the beginning of the era of action. But that is not to say that every single facet of the era of action and its fulfillment was in place at that time. There is still much to be done to continue to lay hold on the blessings promised, and it will require much work and a performance of the things you have committed to, including: a continued cleansing of the Family of those who are not keeping the commitments they swore to‚ and a continual determination and fight to do those things that are your part of the bargain.

81. I have done My part. I have spoken the truth and I have given the anointing you will need for the marvels that will yet be accomplished. I have given the vision, I have provided the tools, I have set the wheels in motion both through the fire of warnings and the thrill of a hope for the future.

82. You, My king and queen, have also done your part. You have followed Me. You have given My Word. You have listened and obeyed, and you have done all you can to bring about the strengthening and cleansing of the Family. You set the Family free, you waited and then you shepherded, according to My specific instructions.

83. You, My precious Family‚ have also done what I have asked of you. You have humbled yourselves; you have learned of My ways, you have received the new weapons and made the right choices. You have believed.

84. Overall, everything necessary to bring in the era of action is in place. You are in My perfect will and in step with My plan and timing. My plan and purpose have been accomplished.

85. But what you must see, if you are to understand how this can be when it seems that the Family as you see it is not stronger or at least not as strong as you feel it should be, is that the strengthening is continuing and the cleansing is continuing. The vast majority of those who signed the Charter membership contract have been strengthened in their inner man. Yes, each one still has problems and weaknesses, but each is stronger in faith and in his or her personal relationship with Me. If you stop to analyze this, you will see that it's true. And because the foundation of strength for the Family overall is based on the personal relationship that each member has with Me, this personal strengthening is a great step of progress and is tantamount to great progress of the body.

86. Now that each Charter Member has been strengthened in their walk with Me and their ability to hear My voice and find My will, I can begin to focus more fully on strengthening the Family as a body, as far as the structure, the outreach, the interaction of individuals and Homes. The Family can only be as strong as the sum total of each individual's personal faith and connection with Me. For that reason, I invested a great amount of time and even risked chaos and a time of confusion and upheaval to purge and strengthen and purify each of My full-time missionaries. This was My way of building the foundation for the great things to come. This was the only way it could be done. Without this crucial step, the other means of strengthening, reinforcing‚ updating and improving the church would have fallen flat, as a work of the flesh without the power needed.

87. Now that each individual has been strengthened through their choices and the lessons they learned, through the use of the new weapons, through their faithfully taking in and receiving the Word, I can begin to bring about the other things that must be done to prepare the church for the full realization of the era of action. There are other ways in which the Family must be strengthened, such as the interaction of the individuals and Homes‚ the uniting of the generations, the reorganization of the structure of WS and leadership‚ and the return to witnessing and follow-up. It's not as if the Family has "arrived" at this point of "being strengthened" as if there were no more Alps to climb. Only the first step has been reached, and there is much more to do.

88. I gave a stern, dire warning with the S2K, and nothing should undermine the seriousness of that warning, for it was and is real. There is still work to be done to bring to pass the admonitions in that message. This cleansing will continue.

89. But this need for more work to be done with the S2K does not negate the value of the promises I give for the era of action. Know that when I deal with a certain aspect of the Family's future or needs or care, I do not always spread a wide and all-encompassing blanket. The current message does not cancel the previous one, nor will the next message nullify all those which have gone before. These two moves of the spirit overlap and run concurrently. The continued cleansing of the S2K and the fulfillment of the promises of the era of action happen simultaneously. There is not time to wait until the CM Family is totally and fully cleansed before I can bring about the next phase of growth. I see that the majority of the CM Family is committed and fully on board and doing their best, and by that measurement I judge and I reward and I lead to the next step.

90. The strength the Family has gained up until this point is the more hidden strength. It's deep within the inner man of each individual; it's a private matter of personal commitment and decisions. The strengthening of the individual is not all there is to it. It's only the beginning. But it is the beginning and it is a very important facet, the completion of which opened the door for Me to give you the new anointing you would need for the next steps. You are well on your way, My precious ones‚ to the miracles you eagerly await! (End of message from Jesus)

91. (Peter:) It's very helpful to understand that the Lord doesn't completely close the door on one move of the spirit when He begins something new. The Lord will continue the cleansing of the Family, as needed, but simultaneously He is going to begin to bring to pass what He has promised regarding the era of action. There will be some continued work with the S2K follow-up, but most of you who are now in the CM Family have committed yourselves to make any changes necessary to fulfill the Lord's plan. The Lord said that the majority of the CM Family is committed and fully on board and doing their best, and for that reason‚ the Lord could reward each of us by giving us the new anointing we received during Feast 2000. Now we'll turn our efforts to strengthening the overall Family.

92. When thinking about it I got this comparison: Say you start a new army and you have 10,000 men who have spent a period of time training, exercising and building up their muscles. Maybe they're not a cohesive army and maybe they don't get along very well, they're not as united as they should be and they're mean to each other; but the potential for them being a strong army is there because each soldier is strong. The point is that the individual soldier is stronger, and because the individual is stronger, it potentially can make the army much stronger. But there's more work needed to get to that point, and everybody has to do his part.

93. The same can be said of the Family. If you look at yourself and those you live with, you'll see that for the most part each one has been spiritually strengthened. If the parts have been strengthened, then the whole has the potential to be much stronger or to make headway, which is obviously the stage we're now heading into. Like the Lord said in the above prophecy, it's a transitional thing. He flows from the days of preparation or purging into the era of action. There's the zone of time when they're both going on simultaneously, but one is fading and the other is growing brighter. (End of comments from Peter.)

None of These Things Move Me

ML #3307:213-226, GN 906

212. ACCUSATION: Mama and Peter talk about all this "purging" of the Family if you're not "on board," like the S2K‚ because they just want to get rid of any dissenting opinions. They don't want anyone to disagree with them; they only want people they have full control over through prophecy to be in the Family. Unbelief and dissension are not tolerated at all.

213. (Mama:) The Lord has spoken extensively over the last five years about the need to have greater unity in the Family. This, of course, means unity of spirit, where we're all fighting for the same cause and working together to reach the same goals. Some people would have you believe that to seek such unity is some kind of a devious plot by Peter and me to ferret out anyone who doesn't agree with us personally because we just can't stand being confronted or argued with. Our detractors would tell you that we don't allow dissenting opinions. That's not true. We welcome dissenting opinions; we greatly appreciate it when people are honest with us. We know and accept the Scriptural admonition to counsel, and we do so. Those who know us well know that we hardly ever make a decision without counseling with others, and the more impact the decision will have on others or the Family overall, the more we counsel. We also pray about our decisions and hear from the Lord in prophecy about them, sometimes many times, getting many confirmations not only ourselves but also out of the mouths of various channels.

214. As was explained earlier, the final decisions do rest with me and Peter, and we don't always agree with others' opinions, nor do we always do what others say we should do. That is the case with anyone who runs any kind of organization, business‚ corporation or church. Someone must make the final decision, and you can never please everyone all the time. Some people get upset, not because they're not listened to, but because their advice is not heeded.

215. The idea that our promotion of unity is to cleanse the Family of any so-called "healthy dissenting opinions" is not true. The kind of unity the Lord and we seek does not reduce everyone to mindless robots. We're talking about unity where people can counsel, have dialogue, seek the Lord together and come to decisions in love and faith. We're talking about unity that makes your Home a happy‚ peaceful place and a wonderful testimony to outsiders.

216. You know from the Scriptures and from Dad's teachings that unity is important and brings the blessings of God. A lack of unity is a problem and can cause the Lord to lift His blessings. That is nothing new.

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand (Mat.12:25).

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:1,4,41).

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all (Acts 4:32-33).

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro‚ and carried about with every wind of doctrine‚ by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things‚ which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Eph.4:1–3,14-16).

217. Of course, we don't want people to be in the Family who don't believe in the Letters or the Charter. That's just common sense. Why would people be so upset about not being able to be in the Family when they're so opposed to our beliefs and rules? Why is that even such an issue? It seems perfectly logical to me that we have the standard and expectation that we do. And it's not just the Family that expects that its members would adhere to the teachings or principles of the organization.

218. Do you think the chief executive of a company would be very happy if some of his managers and employees were constantly belittling the company goals and his leadership? I doubt those people would last very long in the company. Why? Because their boss is a ruthless, uncaring, manipulative dictator? No, because he wants his company to succeed.

219. If someone didn't want to be a doctor and didn't agree with established medical practices, why would he hang around in medical school? Or what room is there in the Bar Association for the lawyer who decides to invent his own code of ethics? I could list example after example of other fields, too, where loyalty and devotion and united goals and beliefs are necessary and required—monasteries, convents, sports teams, special units of the military, etc. It's just the way it works in all areas of life, that you become part of a group because you believe in their beliefs and practices. It's not a strange concept.

220. It's only natural that any disciple in the Family would want to live with people who are sold out and fully dedicated to the vision, goals and beliefs of the Family. What a drag it would be to have someone in your Home who is badmouthing the Word and the Family rules, and talking negatively to your children about everything you parents are trying to teach them. What a bummer to work hard to have a strong spiritual atmosphere in your Home so you can be a good sample to the sheep who come by, only to have it wrecked by people who are just there for the "lifestyle." Having unbelievers in your Home just doesn't work. It doesn't make your work for the Lord strong; it doesn't make your Home a happy place, and to allow people who don't even believe the Word to continue living in your Home doesn't help them either.

221. It only stands to reason that if someone doesn't believe in the New Wine‚ which guides Family policy and beliefs, they would be happier and better off living outside the Family. Of course our core beliefs remain—love for the Lord and reaching the lost with the Gospel—and we're happy to work with anyone who has those same values, whether they like all our other beliefs or not. But to be a member of the Family takes a little more than agreeing on those basics. They are our basic beliefs, but in order to achieve them in the particular way the Lord has given us the desire to do so requires a certain level of spirituality and faith that we realize is not for everyone.

222. It greatly disappoints me to hear of people who have actually stayed in the Family for years when they knew they didn't believe the prophecies, didn't have faith in Peter and me as the Lord's leadership for this particular movement, and didn't agree with our doctrines. One person actually admits to staying in the Family for two years and eight months after he had vowed never to defend Family doctrine and never to lift a finger to present the Family in a good light again. He had pretty much stopped reading GNs and was ashamed to be a member of the Family. To me, that's terribly sad. It's pitiful to think that someone would spend years of his life in one of our Homes when he no longer had the personal conviction that he was where the Lord wanted him to be.

223. If someone loves Jesus and the lost‚ but they want to serve Him without the things that make the Family different, then surely that person could find another church or charitable organization that would suit him or her better. There are many progressive, charismatic, growing churches in countries around the world which would be happy to have them, and where they could be a great blessing.

224. I know our detractors give you the "institutionalized" theory—how they wondered whether they could survive in the outside world—but I don't buy that! You Family members are bright individuals who know how to take initiative. This is especially true since the Charter, as you've had to make your own decisions without as much help and oversight from your over-shepherds. You're "survivors," you're flexible and adaptable, you're smart and experienced, usually way beyond your years. You're well accustomed to raising your own support, establishing your own work and accommodations, teaching your own children, etc. So this pitiful excuse for hanging around for literally years while being supposedly beaten down and manipulated and controlled is pretty ridiculous, if you ask me! Sure, some people have left the Family and not had such good success‚ but there have been plenty who have left and been successful and who continue to be professing Christians who love the Lord.

225. If you know of people in the Family who are unbelievers, who have turned their back on the Word and Charter and who only seek to tear down what we're trying to build, then it's your duty to encourage them to move on, or recommend they be reclassified. Why would they want to live a life they don't believe in or agree with anyway? They should have enough strength of character to live what they believe instead of hiding behind some kind of excuse that they're going to use the structure of the Family to try to do some good. There are plenty of places for someone to do good without having to subject themselves to our way of life and doctrines and religious beliefs and practices if they don't believe them! It just doesn't make sense to a thinking person!

226. Let me ask you: Would you want to face some kind of serious persecution with a half-hearted unbeliever by your side? Presently there is a Home in Mexico, some of whose members are in prison pending charges because of their witnessing. If that were you, who would you want by your side? Those who believe the Word and are willing to stand up for the truth and who have faith that God will deliver you? Or those who hate the Word, our doctrines, Peter and me‚ and everything we stand for? Think about it. It could happen to you.

The Way Things Really Are in WS

ML #3309:28-44, GN 910

Mama and Peter are out of touch and don't really know what's going on in the Family.

28. (Mama: ) I'm sorry some people feel this way. Of course‚ this complaint has been around for quite a few years now, and we've addressed it before. Even when Dad was with us, some people thought that he was out of touch with the needs of the Family, or that what was really going on was lost to him.

29. There isn't a lot more we can say to convince you that we do know what's going on in the Family. We receive a flood of reports from CROs, VSs, and other shepherds—a majority of which are about problem situations and problem people—and countless personal letters from individuals on the field about their local situations.

30. Maybe you feel that Peter and I aren't clued in on all the negative or bad things that take place in the Family because the GNs focus on the positive, on spiritual matters, and not so much on the nitty-gritty, in-your-face problems that you run into daily in your Home. Well‚ you're wrong. We not only know about the good in the Family, but we also know about the bad and the ugly. It's certainly out there, and it saddens us.

31. The Lord has shown us to focus on the spiritual principles that can help you to solve your daily problems. Hashing over the sad stories and bringing out the problems before all won't help fix the situation or get at the root of the problem unless the spiritual problems are taken care of. And that's what we've been doing for years now—giving you the Word and the answers that can solve your problems and take care of these very sad stories and downright bad situations that we've heard about.

32. Believe me, we are aware of the unloving‚ unprayerful, unwise and hurtful things that sometimes, sad to say, go on in the Family. These things should not be so, but unfortunately, due to personal choice and lack of yieldedness to the Lord, and selfishness and disobedience to the Word on the part of individuals, there's not much that Peter and I can do about it. We do what we can to hear from the Lord about some of these situations, counsel the shepherds involved or refer the problem situations to them to take the necessary action, but from there we have to leave it up to the individuals involved and trust that the Lord will do what we can't do—and that is to get involved in every problem‚ mistake, or hurtful situation.

33. The Charter gives individual Family members and Homes substantial authority to deal with problem people or problems in your Home, and with that authority, the responsibility to deal with such local problems has also shifted into your court. Even when we hear about such problems, the onus remains on you to take the necessary steps to remedy them, in conjunction with following the Word that the Lord has given on the subject.

34. I understand that if you keep coming across bad situations and your faith in the Family and our Family members has been hurt because of the unchristian samples that you've seen, it's only natural that you'd think that Peter and I don't know what life in the "real world" is like. You may figure that because the GNs are positive, and the Lord and we commend you for the progress you're making, for the witnessing that is being done, the victories won, etc., that we think everything is rosy and peachy. We don't.

35. However, please keep in mind that you don't necessarily see the whole picture. For the most part, you see and hear what goes on around you, and probably other news from your friends or family around the world via e-mail and letters. Bad news travels faster than good news. Gossip and negative situations are often zipped along the Internet faster than anything else, but that doesn't mean that the preponderance of Family members and Family life is going downhill.

36. There are good and wonderful things happening in the Family, and the majority of Family members are doing positive and constructive things and striving, to the best of their ability, to follow the Word and do the right thing. We know this‚ because we hear about it and people write us about it. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, and at any given time there are less-than-perfect and even downright bad situations taking place. But that doesn't and shouldn't negate the tremendous amount of good, loving interactions, Christian behavior and sacrificial giving that goes on in the Family.

37. Peter and I are privileged to hear more about the Family than anyone else. We hear news from every corner of the globe‚ so I think it's fair to say that we have a much better overall perspective of the Family than you. And if you were in our shoes and looked at the whole picture and makeup of the Family, you'd see that the good far outweighs the bad.

38. I think many Family members have a tendency to get familiar with all the good things in the Family, how the Lord blesses and protects us, and how good we have it. It's easy to become numb to the victories‚ miracles, and positive progress—because that's what our lives are all about. That's normal, so you figure that's how life should be. So you can easily turn your focus instead to the bad, the negative, the unloving, the hurtful, the things that are wrong and shouldn't be happening. Once you do that, your perspective becomes warped, because you don't have a "just balance" in your view of the Family.

39. Peter's and my main job is to give the Lord's Words to the Family. We've published a slew of GNs for you on countless problem areas. Why? Because we thought they would make interesting reading? No. It's because we know what the problems are. We know that some Family members have problems with selfishness, lack of love‚ hurtful actions‚ bad attitudes, gossiping, unyieldedness, self-righteousness, inordinate desire and hunger for the things of the world, and the list goes on.

40. We've addressed some of the same problems over and over in the GNs, and we'll continue to address more of the Family's current problems and lacks, and find the Lord's solutions. But it's up to the individual Family members to make the choice to change, to receive and believe the Word, and to put it into effect. However‚ just because problems persist‚ that doesn't make Peter and I out of touch. Even if we haven't pinpointed a specific situation or named you or the person in your Home who has a certain problem, we've given the Lord's Word on it. We've told you how to get the victory yourself, or how to help someone else get the victory.

41. On a day-to-day basis, from the reports that come in and the personal news we hear from you‚ Peter and I feel quite in touch with the heartbreaks and the needs of the Family. We pray for you, we seek the Lord for you, and we publish His answers. We can't answer everything at once, so we do what the Lord shows us is most timely.

42. You have a lot to do every day, and you don't get it all done, right? But just because you can't complete your long to-do list, much less your wish list, that doesn't mean you're unaware of the needs of your children, their education and spiritual training, your sheep and their need for deeper Word studies, the follow–up course you need to put your provisioning contacts on, the training of your JETTs and teens, the time you should invest in your marriage or working relationship with those in your Home. You do what you can, and you have to trust the Lord for the rest. Peter and I have to do the same.

43. We also have the blessing of receiving the Lord's insight and counsel regarding the needs and problems of the Family, but we don't just depend on that. We actively seek and solicit news and input from the CROs and the VSs. Many Family members who are not in leadership also write us personally. We appreciate receiving all the input we can get. We're not closed to hearing about what's going on in your Home, even if it's not good news. We want to be able to pray for you and help pull down the Lord's answers for you.

44. In the final analysis, it comes down to trusting the Lord. You need to have enough faith in the Lord to know that He's not going to fail us as a Family. He's not going to let us, your shepherds, become distant and out of touch, or be misled about what's going on in the Family. You need to believe that He's going to speak to me and Peter‚ and lead and guide us. And the way the Lord does this is through speaking to us in prophecy, and also by the many reports, personal accounts‚ our own personal visitation and news we receive from each field, which help us to know the state of our flocks. (For more on this, see "Problems and Solutions, Part 2," ML #3070:134-177, Lifelines 23.)

Heading into 2003, Part 1

ML #3382A:126-140, GN 978

126. (Peter: ) In October and November of last year‚ the Lord and Mama delivered this hot GN series [Conviction vs. Compromise] which we hope shook up and radically changed every Family member! This series was a milestone event for the Family, as the problems and compromises were spelled out in no uncertain terms, and the Lord's challenge and warnings were presented to all.

127. Since publishing this series, Mama and I have received a flood of mail from Family members around the world, commenting on these GNs, sharing heartfelt lessons, and declaring their wholehearted support for the Family and the New Wine.

128. It has been very encouraging to hear that the great majority of Family members are very happy, thankful, relieved, and grateful for this shakeup and revolution in the spirit. And we're also glad that those who have not been in agreement with our Family beliefs, policies, and goals are moving on and finding a place where they'll be happy.

129. Here are just a few of the supportive reactions and comments we've received from you:

130. Thank you for the "Conviction vs. Compromise" series. It's tremendous what the Lord is doing—very needed, sobering, scary, exciting, thrilling, WONDERFUL!

131. These GNs hit home and made us very desperate to seek the Lord for needed changes in our lives. We were guilty of compromise in many areas and we're very thankful for this timely correction as we don't want our sheep to turn out churchy in any way.

132. Even though this series of Letters is very sobering, it is also exciting and reassuring.—Exciting because the End is getting closer and the Lord is going to use us in greater ways. And reassuring because we can see that the Lord doesn't let us or anybody in the Family get away with things that we were quite concerned about. We admire you for not compromising.

133. "Conviction vs. Compromise" was exactly what I needed. I want to be a 110%er. I never have been before, but it is my heart's desire to give my all to the Lord and the Family. I've always been considered a pretty good girl‚ but lately I've been realizing that there is a lot more to being in the Family.

134. It will be so cool when the day comes that everyone who is in the CM Family—especially young people my age—will be happy about being here and really want to uphold the standard. I guess we'll be a Gideon's band of diehards, and that's going to be radical. Wow! I can't wait! It will almost be the same as when people first joined way back in the '60s and '70s‚ except better!

135. My reaction to the new series is a complete awakening to the truths that the Lord is speaking to us. I like it so much! It has woken me up and reminded me of why I decided to serve the Lord 29 years ago.

136. God bless Mama for obeying the Lord and giving us this message. It was one of the best, most on-fire Letters she has ever written. Bravo!

137. We pray that you are all keeping the Lord's counsel and call to total and complete discipleship close to heart, and not sliding back in your commitments to the Lord, or allowing the evil Selvegion back into your Homes and lives, nor allowing Pan and Bacchus to influence your mind and actions. The Lord means for this change to stick!

138. In order for us to do the job the Lord has given us, it's imperative that we keep our hearts clean and free from the Enemy's division and from System entanglements. If you want to have a happy Home‚ a successful Activated ministry, a local body of believers, a group of Active members who support you financially and help your Home's ministries to progress, and the Lord's full blessing in your lives, then you need to strive with all that is in you to maintain the discipleship standard the Lord laid down in the "Conviction vs. Compromise" Letters. Don't let those GNs sit on the shelf. Reading them once or even twice is not enough. You need to continue to review them, remind yourself of the Lord's instruction and counsel, and keep yourself stirred up!

139. Each Family member has to continue doing his or her part in order for the Family to make and maintain the long–term changes that are needed. The Lord has outlined the problems and has given the solutions. Now each of you has to do the day-to-day hard work of making the right choices, abiding by your commitments, living in unity and humility with your brothers and sisters, putting the Lord first, preaching the meat of the Word, training and disciplining your children, and doing all that goes into being a revolutionary 110% Family disciple.

140. How are you doing?

Pray, Obey and Prepare

ML #3420:96-99, GN 1007

96. (Jesus speaking: ) Just as there are many individuals and different situations in the Family, so there are many degrees of obedience and dedication. I am merciful and I give people ample time. I don't expect that everyone will have made the same changes and be at the same place spiritually. But the overall plan must move forward, and I have to look at the general state of the Family's needs when I allow something to come to pass or I delay it.

97. In this case‚ a large majority of the Family has been making steps forward in their quest for greater dedication. I am pleased.

98. However, there are pockets of resistance to the truth and the direction I am leading. There are some who are still rebellious, disobedient, shallow, compromised, and without the fear of Me. And because there has been so much truth published over the last year, I must hold these wayward ones more accountable. They are in essence challenging Me, testing Me, like a child might test his parents. They think nothing will come of their rebelliousness, that all things will continue as they are. They are simply biding their time, mostly here for the lifestyle, without regard for the judgments that will come.

99. Because they have not made decisions to either get right with Me or to move on, and because it's impossible for the shepherds to be "policing" the flocks, I will shepherd these wayward ones Myself.

Copyright © 2004 by The Family International

End of File