HomeARC ML 3129
Spirit Stories!--Part 2 Maria #389 DO/TS 3129 4/97
More on Heavenly Ghostwriting!--By Maria
My Wonderful Family,
1. I love you! By now you've probably read the GN about "Spirit Stories" and the first issue of "Heaven's Library." Isn't it exciting to see how much the Lord has to give us, how freely and abundantly He wants to pour it out, and what thrilling messages He has from the storytellers beyond the veil?
2. While we were preparing the "Spirit Stories" GN, a few questions came up that we brought before the Lord in prayer to get His counsel on, and He and Dad responded with some fascinating answers. I didn't feel led to add all these new messages to the first GN, as it was already very long. Plus, I wanted to tell you the exciting news about this story project and let you see the first story booklet as soon as possible, and if we had included all these new messages, it would have taken longer to get it all off to you. So in this GN I want to share with you some additional insight and information about this new spirit story project. I'm sure you'll find these messages interesting and enlightening, as I did, and I believe they'll answer questions some of you might have.
Editing Stories vs. Editing Other Prophecies
3. In the first "Spirit Stories" GN, I talked about the difference between the stories we receive in prophecy and the messages of counsel or direction that we receive from the Lord or Dad or our spirit helpers. As I explained previously, we have been given permission to change, add to, or edit the stories as we're working in teamwork with the Heavenly storytellers, many of whom are new at communicating in this way; whereas even small wording changes in messages from the Lord or Dad are made very cautiously and prayerfully. In the following message, the Lord clarifies and explains the difference between the stories and other prophecies, and the changes or edits that can be made in them. (Excerpts of this prophecy were included in the first "Spirit Stories" GN. This is the message in full:)
4. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} I have anointed and ordained this storytelling project. It is I Who put this idea in the heart and mind of Queen Maria. It is I Who gave her and her channels the faith to step out and receive stories, that the children might be fed. It is I Who have commissioned these on this side to speak, to tell their stories, to relate experiences, spiritual principles, lessons, and even entertainment and adventure.
5. There are many reasons why I put forth this project, the primary one being so that the children would have an abundance of reading material, and you would have a means to access and receive that reading material quickly. If you had the personnel available, then the experienced, well-trained and deeply spiritual children of David could, using their own mind and talents, write stories that would be equally as edifying for the children. They could be led of My Spirit, they could hear My whispers and they could receive plots, characters, and all that would be needed to develop, write and produce the stories that would feed, encourage and keep the interest of the children and young people.
6. But the problem with that plan, the flaw in that approach, is that the children of David have so much to do. Their attention is spread out over so many important responsibilities and projects that they cannot be spared to invest the time, attention, and painstaking labor that would be involved in writing these stories. So for this reason I have commissioned these departed spirits, these on this side, to use their talents, skills and burdens so that you might be able to receive these stories and this edifying reading material much more quickly and efficiently.
7. But a story is a story is a story; and you must realize that there are different qualities of messages from Heaven, and there is varying flexibility in the changes that can be made in these messages from Heaven. I have expressly given permission that the stories and songs that are given from Heaven to the children of David might be changed or embellished or polished according to how you feel led of Me, according to the need. For even this process of polishing and editing is part of your training. It causes you to seek Me, it causes you to be prayerful as you go over the stories that you receive, and as you continue to prayerfully seek Me and continue to hone your skills at hearing My whispers and receiving My checks.
8. The way you go about doing the editing is up to your personal preference. You can prayerfully seek Me as you rework something or make deletions, additions, clarifications and add a polishing touch--possibly to add more adventure, more intrigue, more detail, or to make the story line or characters more consistent. Or, if you find it's easier, if you feel there is something missing in the story or something that needs to be clarified, you can simply call back up to Heaven and ask that same departed spirit to help you by giving you the words, edits or clarifications.
9. The difference between the stories and the other messages that you receive directly from Me, your Father David or your spirit helpers, is that stories will have a different impact on the reader. They are given for inspiration, edification, and for putting forth general spiritual principles. These stories are not the meat of the Word; they are not revelatory as far as direction or instruction for the reader or for the Family as a whole. The stories are designed and written and serve as part of the building blocks of your children's education, but they are not part of the foundation of faith of your children and young people, which comes from the Word of God and the Words of David.
10. These Heavenly stories are like bait to draw your children and young people to the meat of the Word and the deeper, stronger spiritual principles that are put forth in the Letters and the messages from Me and from Father David and from the spirit beings who have been chosen to lead and guide Queen Maria and King Peter and the children of David. Because the stories have less influence, less impact, less ability to change the course of the Family or the individuals in it, I have allowed flexibility in the preparation of the stories, so that it is a teamwork, with those of you on Earth working hand in hand with those chosen in Heaven. It is both a give and a take: They're giving the story, and you're taking what you receive and are adding as you see fit and as you are led by Me.
11. I have commissioned your Heavenly storytellers, but as your Queen Maria has spoken, many of these are immature and inexperienced, not only in the ways of the spirit world and in communicating with those on the other side, but even in storytelling. Some of their own weaknesses or lacks are reflected in the stories they tell. They are not yet perfect beings, and they are not strong, time-tested, experienced, mature warriors of the faith, like your Father David is. Sometimes their stories reflect these weaknesses, as they are unable to punch through the veil clearly, or sometimes they even get mixed up and get a few things wrong.
12. I knew that this would be a possibility before I ordained this project, and before I revealed this unto your queen. But I knew that in spite of the fact that the stories would not be poured forth letter-perfect, but would require some edits, it would still be a great time-saver and it would be an opportunity to pour forth much inspiration, education and spiritual feeding to your young ones.
13. Because of your many years of feeding on My pure Word and the Words of David, I knew that I could trust you, My channels, My story-receivers, to be led of Me and to be deeply spiritual and prayerful when making any needed changes or adaptations. I knew that this would be a successful teamworking venture, that it would bring much satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment and challenge to your Heavenly storytellers, and it would also help supply the very great need that your children have for edifying reading material. I knew it would also be a thrill and a spiritual charge to you channels who would step out to receive these stories, and that this experience would serve to help you exercise your gifts and grow in faith.
14. But I must be very clear that there is a great difference between the stories you receive from the spirit world, and the messages you receive from Me or from your Father David or from your spirit helpers--those who have been chosen and ordained to lead you in spiritual matters, to give you answers to questions, revelations, direction, correction, instruction and guidance in your decision-making.
15. When you seek Me and come before Me in prayer to hear from Me in these serious matters, then you must know that I do not delegate the giving of such messages to storytellers or to departed spirits who are inexperienced, immature, and even in some cases, less educated in the ways of the spirit world than you are. When it comes to serious instruction or guidance or the answer to your questions, I either come to you Myself, or your Father David speaks, or those spirit beings who have been assigned to your care and protection speak. And such messages are of a completely different quality, for these messages are divinely inspired. They are the Word of the Lord that you can count on and trust. They are without weakness or inconsistency.
16. If the channel who comes before Me has full faith and is well exercised and well practiced, then the message will be full and complete. Or if a number of channels come before Me with a question, or are in need of instruction or direction, then through the messages received by all the various channels you will receive a well-balanced, multi-faceted message, with many sides, many angles, complete in itself.
17. When you receive such messages that have great potential to change your life, the direction you're going, the decisions you're making; when you're seeking Me desperately for the answers to your questions; when you need to know My will; when you need to know what to do and how and when and where; or even when you're seeking Me for words of encouragement in your time of need, then in all of these instances you must trust Me that the Words that you receive are for the most part exactly as I would have you hear them. If you're desperately crying out to Me, if you come before Me with a yielded heart, and you make of your mind a blank sheet and ask Me to write on it the Words that I choose, then you must trust that when you open your mouth, I will fill it. Trust that if you ask bread of Me, I will not give you a stone, but I will give you that which you need. And I will give it to you and present it to you in a format that is safe and secure and in which you can put your full trust.
18. Of course, the Evil One and those of the dark forces are always trying to distract the channels. They fight every word, every phrase, every sentence that is given from the Heavenlies. If the channel's concentration is broken or distracted, or if the spiritual warfare causes some static on the line, then it is possible that the channel--even a good, reliable channel--may get a word or some words wrong from time to time.
19. Often during the actual receiving of a message, the channel may get a check that a word that was said was wrong, and in that case he or she can correct it right on the spot. Or even afterwards, when going over the message, the channel may get a check, or someone else may get a check, that something doesn't sound quite right. In this case, you can bring such possible "mistakes" or "errors" in the message to Me and ask Me specifically if that is the right word or the wrong word and if some change needs to be made, and I will be more than willing to make it clear, so that you can proceed in full faith.
20. The safest and surest route to take when going over your messages from Me or from Father David or from other spirit beings is to refrain from making any changes or edits or "improvements" unless you are absolutely sure that the word was either misunderstood or mistyped, or you have a confirmation from Me that it was indeed the wrong word and that it should be changed. For I would not have you putting words in My mouth or changing and editing My messages according to your carnal mind.
21. Take care to know that My ways are not your ways, but My ways are higher. And so it is that often a message that I give may be entirely accurate, and yet it is still mysterious, and sometimes difficult to understand, and may seem to you to be unclear or even "wrong." But in such cases, I have either veiled the message until some time in the future when I will reveal the full meaning, or I have allowed such ambiguity so that you would come before Me again to receive yet further information, counsel, and direction. Sometimes I even allow things in messages to appear to be wrong as a test, to see if you will lean to your own understanding, or if you will come to Me and seek My guidance.
22. Be strong in the fear of the Lord and lean not to your own understanding when judging and drinking in the messages from Heaven. Have faith and know that I am He Who gives the sign, Who gives the go-ahead, Who delegates to the Heavenly storywriters, even knowing that the stories will not be poured forth letter-perfect, but will require some small edits. But I trust you, My children. I trust your faith and your deep spirituality and your knowledge of My Word. I trust that the end product will be what I want it to be, as I know that you will bathe it in prayer and seek Me in your editing, polishing, and preparation of the stories from these departed spirits.
23. I also trust that you will be wise and mature and will not jump to conclusions, but will know that there is a vast difference between the messages from the storytellers and the messages that I would give, or that I would allow your Father David or your divine spirit guides to give. Have faith, be wise, and rightly divide the Word that I give. (End of message from Jesus.)
24. ({\b \i Mama:) }The Lord has commissioned us and the spirit helper storytellers to work together on this spirit story project, because He wants to feed our children--and to do it quickly. As He said, He could have helped Family members who have writing skills to write the stories themselves, using their own minds and talents; but since we're all so busy and have so much to do, He is asking spirit helpers in Heaven to write the stories for us and pass them on. Since some of these spirit helpers aren't very experienced in communicating with those of us on this side, or perhaps aren't even experienced in telling stories, sometimes we'll need to help them out by editing and embellishing the stories they give.
25. I wondered about the sentences in the above prophecy that said that some of the storytellers' "weaknesses or lacks are reflected in the stories they tell." Also, the Lord said that "sometimes they even get mixed up and get a few things wrong." I thought you might wonder how this jibed with what the Lord had already brought out about how the stories involving people are true stories, told exactly as they happened, or they are based on true events, with some details embellished. If they are true stories, then what things are the storytellers getting wrong? When I asked the Lord about this, this is the answer He gave:
26. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }Sometimes the Heavenly storytellers get little details wrong or miss some of the historical or geographical details, either because they lacked that education when they were on Earth, or because the subject of the story has something to do with a matter or a problem or a scenario that was not yet invented or not popular at the time when they lived. Or else they failed to do enough research, even in the Heavenly realm, before giving their story.
27. As with people on Earth, some of the storytellers are more thorough than others. Some are naturally more studious than others. Some put more into their preparation, doing more study in the Heavenly library, making a more detailed outline, and having more notes available for the time when they give their story. But others rely less on research and outlines and note-taking and preparation, and they speak more spontaneously. They speak from inspiration. They speak from memory. But in such cases, there is greater opportunity for some of the little details to be somewhat amiss.
28. Of course, that doesn't mean that the truth of the story and the power of the story are weakened at all, or that the story can't be relied upon, or that there's anything seriously wrong with the story or the lesson contained therein. I'm just talking about little tiny details, like possibly dates or historical points or the geographical details of some of the countries in which the stories are set.
29. But I knew that even such missing details or mistaken details would not be a problem, because of the faithful proofreaders of the children of David. I have gifted the proofreaders, each in a different way. Each sees things differently. So these proofreaders are good safeguards to help the storytellers to present their stories and to ensure their accuracy.
30. The weaknesses or lacks that I spoke of are weaknesses in their preparation, lack of study, lack of thoroughness, lack of taking the time to ensure that the story is as complete and as accurate as possible. Some storytellers don't have the patience necessary for thorough preparation; but they are good storytellers nonetheless, because sometimes what they lack in patience, they make up for in enthusiasm or speaking ability or willingness and availability. (End of message from Jesus.)
31. {\b \i (Mama:) }The main difference between the stories and other messages that we receive in prophecy is that stories have a different impact and influence on the readers.{\b \i }The stories are for our young people's edification, enjoyment and education, but they aren't the meat of the Word, the Lord's explicit direction or revelation. When we come before the Lord in prayer to seek His will, His guidance or His mind on a matter, He speaks to us Himself, or sends Dad or one of His trusted spirit helpers to give us the counsel we need. He doesn't entrust a job like that to departed spirits who are not mature, wise or well-acquainted with the dynamics of the spirit world.
32. When we come before the Lord in full faith, asking Jesus Himself to speak through us, we can trust that the message He gives says what He wants it to say. It is possible, though, that the Enemy might cause static on the line, and even a reliable channel may get a few words wrong in the message. So if someone gets a check when reading over a prophecy that something should be adjusted, the Lord wants us to check with Him on whether He wants to change the wording. Sometimes the Lord intentionally lets His messages be mysterious because He only wants to reveal the full meaning sometime in the future; other times He simply wants us to come back to Him again for further information and clarification. Sometimes He tests us with things that appear "wrong" to see if we'll jump to criticize or doubt, or if we'll trust Him and come back to Him for clarifications or more information.
33. To emphasize the importance of asking the Lord about even making seemingly logical changes in prophecies, I want to share with you the answer the Lord gave when we asked Him about changing a word in one of the messages from the Archangel Gabriel, which was included in the "Spirit Stories" GN. The Archangel Gabriel spoke twice, and in both of the messages He used the word "gateways." He said, "I am the keeper of the reservoir, the Word of God. I have received the instructions to open the gateways and to let the Words flow freely so that the water of His Word will flood upon the face of the Earth!" He used the word "gateways" in this context four times. He also said, "The roaring of the rushing waves beat upon the Earth with great power and magnificence! So shall this flood of the Word of God be, now that the gateways to the reservoir have been opened. You shall see a mighty flood of the Word of God that shall sweep the Earth in great power!"
34. One of our GN proofreaders suggested changing the word "gateways" to "spillways," because spillway is the word that is usually used in relation to the release channels on a dam. That sounded logical, but since the word "gateways" was used several times in the prophecy, I thought the Archangel Gabriel probably knew what he was talking about, or had a reason for using that word. But we wanted to make sure we had gotten it right, so we asked the Lord to confirm one way or the other. He again sent the Angel Gabriel to answer our question, and here is what he had to say:
35. {\b \i (Archangel Gabriel speaking:)} What I have said, I have said. I have indeed opened the gateways, a great passageway, a great opening, a great door for the children of David. I have not simply opened the spillways to allow a little excess to flow out of the reservoir, to let it trickle out in meager portions; but I have indeed opened the floodgates, the gateways, that it might pour forth abundantly, richly--that the children of David might pass from one room to another, to a place of great abundance of the Word of God.
36. Have I not spoken of the Word of God flooding the Earth, pouring forth as never before? Have I not spoken that the key to open the gateways and the floodgates was given into my hand, that I might give the Word of God unto the children of David as no others have received it? What I have said, I have said, and so let it be: that I have opened the gateways so that the children and all might know that I have made a way to pour forth the water abundantly, richly, and in massive amounts--a veritable flood that will cover the Earth! I am not just opening the spillways to pour forth a little excess, to let a little run off the top, or run out the bottom, just to give a little release of excess water. No, the water from the reservoir of God is pouring forth with great power and force!
37. The gateways signify an opening, a passage--the movement of the children of David from one place to another, from one realm to another. It is truly a magnificent movement of the Spirit of God! It is great! It is awesome! You have yet to behold the magnitude and magnificence of what you are to receive! Therefore, let it be said what I have said, for I speak the truth which cannot be altered. For I am the Archangel Gabriel, the keeper of the reservoir of God. I give unto whom I give, according to the power that is given to me through Jesus, and I have given unto the children of David. So let it be said and so let it be written that I have opened the gateways of the reservoir of God. (End of message from the Archangel Gabriel.)
38. {\b \i (Mama:) }How privileged we are to pass through these gateways into a new realm, overflowing with God's Words! What a good example of how each word that the Lord or His spirit helpers and angelic beings speak can have great significance! So it's important that we're very prayerful in judging the Words of God, and don't lean to our own understanding.
Stories Will Draw the Children to the Meat of the Word!
39. In the first "Spirit Stories" GN (GN 733), I briefly summarized the message the Lord gave when we asked Him whether our children would get too interested in reading the stories, to the neglect of reading the meat of the Word that is provided for them in the MLKs and Hope TKs. Since the stories are so fun and easy to read, you might wonder if the kids might spend all of their time reading stories, and either lose interest in reading the MLKs and Hope TKs, or perhaps only read them once.
40. The {\b \i Hope TKs} and the {\b \i MLKs} are the most important pubs for the feeding of our kids, as they contain the meat of the Word, key excerpts from the New Wine, and the Lord's direct Words in prophecy, which will help our kids grow in strength and conviction. So we asked the Lord to explain how these stories fit into our children's "meal plan" and what part they play in their Word diet.
41. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} With these stories, I am preparing the fertile ground to receive My seeds. Though they spend more time with the stories than they do with the meat of the Word, they will absorb more out of the Word when they do read it. The MLKs and Hope TKs become part of them; they are absorbed into their being. These are the seeds which will bring forth fruit. These stories will not take away from the Hope TKs and MLKs, but they will draw the children to them. The stories will serve their purpose of bringing the children closer to Me, giving them a greater joy of spending time with Me.
42. Are you concerned over the shallowness of your children today? You say, "Where is the depth of spirit that the older ones had at the same ages? How do we stir our children up to read and love the Word as their older brothers and sisters did?" Here I am with the answer: the wooing of their young hearts through these stories.
43. Oh parents, please be involved with your children. I know you have little ones, and you have rents and sickness and weary bodies, but please tune in to your children's time with Me. For if they do not see you interested in their time with Me, they also will not feel it is important.
'44. If the children do not see you, their parents and caregivers, sucking in the Word, they will not go to the Word, not even the stories. If you are feeding off of secular magazines, periodicals or television, and not the pure stream of Word that I give forth, then neither will they. For your children cannot be stronger than you, their parents and caregivers. They must see the sample in order to be able to fully partake of My Words.
45. If you read the GNs only as a newspaper, then so will they. They will pick up the TKs to see the art and then set them aside, because it is only to satisfy their curiosity. You must hunger for the Word, for the truth, so that they will also hunger for the meat of the Word. It is up to you; you are the ones who must put forth the effort to challenge your children to read the TKs. Don't leave them to their own devices. Give them the Word! Bring the Word to life by using these tools that I give to you.
46. I have not only given these {\b \i Hope TKs} and {\b \i MLKs} to the children, but I am first giving them to you. You parents, caregivers, shepherds, teens, YAs and SGAs are the ones who must receive this Word and give it to the children. Give them these TKs as the priceless jewels of My love that they are, and the children will receive them as such. But if you give these to them with the lackadaisical ho-hum attitude of, "Oh, here's something new that you can look at," and then walk off, the message that you will impart to your children is that the Word is not very important. In so doing, you will undermine My Spirit, and your children will be weakened.
47. You must show a hunger for My Word, or your children will drift afar. For even the stories cannot save your children. It is still up to you; the burden is still yours.
48. You say, "But I don't have time to feed my children the Word!" I understand. I see the burdens you carry and the financial and physical struggles that weigh you down, and I am sending you the answer. These stories and these TKs are My answer to help lift this burden. But you must still administrate it! If you have a baby in arms, or a toddler on the toilet, or a preschooler running out the door, then you have difficulties in giving your older children the meat of the Word. But you still can, for I have given you the tools.
49. Give them these TKs; pass them on as you would a new ring with a precious stone in the setting, and they will also receive them as precious stones. If you give them to your children as just another "nice thing," that's all they will be received as--just another nice thing. The responsibility lies with you. You must care for the child, and care for the Word, and then your children will also care for My Words. Stories and TKs '[EDITED: "Hope TKs and MLKs"]' alike must have your backing. (End of message from Jesus.)
50. {\b \i (Mama:) }The Lord reassured us that the stories will not distract the children from reading the other pubs that provide their solid Word foundation. They might spend more time reading the stories, but then when they read the more meaty pubs, they will better absorb and understand them. The stories are like "appetizers" that will increase their hunger for the Word.
51. The Lord also highlighted the importance of parents, teachers, shepherds and older young people getting involved in feeding our children. He emphasized the need for you to be a sample to them of desiring to spend time with Jesus and in the Word yourself, and being interested and concerned that they take that time as well. If you older Family members look at the Word as simply one more "newsy" thing to read, that's how the children will look at it, too. But if you value and treasure the Words as the priceless jewels that they are, and you impart that spirit to the children, then they will partake of that attitude as well, and will greatly benefit from the abundance of Word that is available to them.
What About the Books the Heavenly Storytellers Wrote When on Earth?
52. Since some of our Heavenly storytellers were authors in this life, w asked the Lord for some counsel on how we should view the books and stories that they wrote while they were here. If any of their works while on Earth were not edifying, or were questionable, then why can we trust their stories now? What's the difference between what these authors wrote while on Earth and what they write now that they're in Heaven? And is it recommended that our Family members also read the books these authors wrote while on Earth?
53. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} These authors in question were very gifted writers while on Earth. These gifts were given to them by Me, and they learned to develop them. They learned to develop their writing skills. They studied, they worked hard, and they used the gifts and talents that I had given them. That's why I allowed them to become famous, to become well-known, because they didn't bury their talents; they didn't hide their talent under a bushel. They didn't keep these things hidden in a corner, but they stepped out by faith. They used their talents and they worked on them, so I blessed them and the work that they did because they were faithful to use that which I had given them.
54. But you must remember that these were people of the world. Even those who loved Me and read My Word, who knew of Me, prayed to Me, and believed in Me, were still very much people of the world. They were influenced by the world around them, by their worldly surroundings. They didn't have the strong, spiritual, Bible teaching and Word-based education that you in the Family have. They had some religious education. They had some understanding of the Bible and My Word. They did have true belief, but they were far behind you in the realm of real spiritual enlightenment and understanding. Even the young ones in your Family have more training and more understanding of the world of the spirit than these writers did when on Earth. So these writers' stories and writings were very much colored by the things of the world.
55. They wrote through the filter of their own mind, which was filled with the concepts, ideas, philosophies and the mindset of the world. Oh, some had a glimpse of Heaven and the supernatural. They understood at different times in their lives that their writing and their skills were a gift, but they really had no idea of how great a gift, or the full meaning of the Giver of the gift. So you see, their works, their writings, their books, their stories were all colored by the world around them, and were not the pure Words from Heaven. I blessed them nevertheless, because what they wrote was basically good and had some redeeming qualities. And I also blessed them because of their willingness to use the gifts that they had been given.
56. There's very little need to go back and read the things that they wrote. They were like their rough drafts; it was like their time of training. Although their stories were highly prized in the eyes of those in the world, and although these writers seemed to have great accomplishments, in My eyes they were just rough drafts. They were just exercises in learning--learning to use their writing skills. Those books were really their first attempts. They spent many, many years writing those books, so when I say "first attempts," I'm thinking in the long term. I'm thinking in terms of the Millennium, or all eternity. So what is 10, 15, 20, 30 years or more of writing, compared to all eternity? It's just the beginning.
57. They were just learning to use their skills; they were just learning how to use the language, which words to choose. And although they didn't realize it, they were also learning to listen to the whispers; learning to look for the inspiration; learning to hear the voice or get the picture, or receive the idea, and to translate that into written words. That's what they were doing, though they didn't always understand it or think of it in those terms. Sometimes they had a little inkling of what was going on, but really, they were pretty much in the dark about these workings of the Spirit. But they did it, and they learned, and they grew, and it helped to develop their skills.
58. So why would you want to go back and read a lot of rough drafts? Those are like the initial blueprints of the building. Wouldn't you rather have a look at the finished product? Why would you want to go back and pore over and try to study and squeeze out lessons and some bits of goodness from somebody's early writings--things that do not reflect their full gift, but are only like practice sessions or exercises in learning?
59. Now they're in Heaven! They've been Here for a while now, and they're being influenced by their Heavenly surroundings. Their mindset is changing. Their perception of life is changing, and their spiritual perception is growing and increasing. You might say they're becoming enlightened to the ways of the Spirit. Their skills and their talents and the writing ability that they learned on Earth were a great benefit, and they brought those skills with them.
60. Now they're beginning to understand what was going on when they had a little thought, or when they had an urge to write a certain paragraph, or when they had a little mental picture of the rest of the story. Now they understand what that is and they can tune in better. They have better channels. The scales that partly blinded their eyes have been removed, and now they see things as they really are and the way they should be. So now their stories are reflecting their Heavenly viewpoint, their Heavenly mindset.
61. Their philosophies and viewpoints on life have changed. They're no longer the thoughts of man, the traditions of man, mingled with a little good and a little bad, but they're pure now. They don't understand everything, of course; they're still learning.
62. They've had to go back to school. There's much they've needed to read and study. My Heavenly storytellers are always learning, learning, learning! Even the ones who arrived in the Heavenly City educated and well-prepared and well-versed in the area of writing are still learning. Many of them had to unlearn a lot of the things they knew while on Earth, and they had to learn the ways of the Spirit, the ways of Heaven and the ways of love.
63. They do this by spending long hours in the Heavenly library. They study the Bible, they study the biographies of great Christians and missionaries, they study the MO Letters and other publications of the Family. They study the writings of other great Christian revolutionaries, evangelists, missionaries and reformers. And they even study the writings of Heavenly beings--those who have written volumes and volumes to explain the workings of the universe and the Heavenly City and the ways of the Kingdom.
64. There is much, much for the Heavenly storytellers to study. They are not studying and reading and wasting their time with writings of worldly things or worldly values, for there is much to learn from the Heavenly realm, and they have much to learn about the ways of the Lord and the truth of His Words.
65. They've needed to set aside their writing professions, just to go through a retraining course, to get purged out and washed clean of all that System input, System thinking and philosophies and viewpoints. But they're doing much better now. They've come a long, long way, and I'm entrusting them with their writing skills again. Oh, they're happy! They're thrilled! Because, really, that's what they love to do most--they love to write. And now they're going to be writing from their Heavenly vantage point, and the stories are going to be more Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.
66. Some of the stories they're going to give will be for our Family, because they understand the things of our Family more clearly. They're going to relate to the children and the young people and the adults, too, and they're all going to enjoy reading these Heavenly stories.
67. You have to realize, though, that they didn't grow up in the Family. Even though they've been through a time of retraining up Here and they've learned a lot, still, there are certain aspects of Family life and training and input that you've received that are just taking them a little longer to grasp. So it doesn't mean that every single thing they write is going to be so Family-oriented or spoken just like you would in the Family.
68. I'm giving them this opportunity to use their gifts, and they're really excited and they want to do their best. They're being prayerful and they're being on guard and they're being very direct in their prayers in asking that these messages, these stories, be as edifying, Spirit-filled, and on-the-mark as they can possibly be.
69. Now, another thing that I'd like to share is that some stories they give could be for the general public. They're going to be able to draw upon their experience in the world. They're going to be able to utilize a little bit of what they lived and experienced while on Earth to help package more truth, more Heavenly viewpoints, more Heavenly concepts that will be palatable to the general public. So some of their stories will be along those lines and more geared for the general public than they are for the Family. Still, as all good things come from above, all the things that I will be allowing them to pour down are going to be good and helpful and edifying.
70. So let those messages flow! Let those stories come cascading down! Just open up your channels and let them flow through. These folks up Here have learned a lot, they've come a long way, and they're really eager to pour these things out! So open up and let them flow! Let them pour through you! (End of message from Jesus.)
'71.' {\b \i (Dad speaking:) }Praise the Lord! Isn't this storybook project exciting? Wasn't that exciting news and a helpful explanation? I hope that will help to clarify things and give you the right picture and the right perspective on how to look at these authors.
72. You know, I read a lot of those books myself--I told you that, I explained that in the Letters--and I got a little something out of them. But you have to realize that I was just a child myself when I read them. And although I had the spiritual background and training and heritage, as I grew older I began to see that the Lord had so much more for me in His written inspired Words in the Bible. I began to see that I could draw so much more strength, wisdom, inspiration and guidance from the Bible than I ever could from those books I read earlier.
73. Remember, I read those books as a child, in my younger years. But when the Lord's hand came upon me, after I got filled with the Holy Ghost, I just wanted the pure Word from Heaven. I didn't want to look back at those old books any more. I remember them still, and sure, I gained a few spiritual principles from reading them, and I could see there was some good in there. But once I got ahold of the real thing, once I got filled with the Holy Spirit and I started reading the Bible and seeing those Words through the eyes of the Spirit and letting God's Spirit interpret those Words to me, I knew I had finally tapped in to the pure Heavenly stream--the unadulterated Word of God! Then I turned my back on all that old worldly stuff. It just didn't satisfy. It just didn't give me the same charge in the spirit. With those other books you had to read for hours and hours searching for one little crumb or nibble of spiritual food. It just wasn't worth it, when I could turn to the Bible and be fed moment by moment through everything I laid my eyes on!
74. So that's my testimony. That's the way I looked at it. After I got filled with the Spirit and started reading God's Word, I really had no more appetite for those things.
75. And now our young kids, our adults, all of our Family members have oodles of things to read, oodles of Words from On High! Sure, they have their Bibles, and that's great, but look at the Letters they've got! Look at the volumes and volumes of God's Word in the form of those Letters that they've got--counsel, instruction, stories, anecdotes, it's all there! And now the Lord's pouring down even more with these new stories from Heaven. So I just don't see why anybody would want to go back and read any of those worldly books.
76. My goodness! We've just got so much in the Family! We've got such a wealth of material, such a storehouse, I don't think there's anybody in the Family that could have possibly read everything that's come out--except for maybe some of our editors and those who spend all their time on the Words. But even if they had read every single thing that's ever been published by the Family, there's been so much that they could go back and start all over again and much of it would be fresh and new, just as if they were reading it for the first time!
77. I think it's good for the Family to know a little bit about who these authors are--maybe just enough so that they realize they were famous authors. I don't think that we need to promote their books by any means, when these authors are so changed now and they're producing new things. They themselves aren't really so interested in anybody reading their old stuff; they're almost kind of ashamed of it. It's like when you write a letter: You start with your rough draft, but when you finally have the polished version, the good version, you don't want anybody going back to your original rough draft! You'd rather throw that away or set it aside, because it isn't representative of your best work. That's the way those folks feel. They'd rather you didn't go back and read those things. They'd rather you read the new stuff.
78. It's like I said in some of my other Letters, it's good for people to know a little bit about the things of the world--at least to know the difference between who was a famous painter and who was a famous architect. They should have enough knowledge to know the difference between who did what. But they don't need to dig into their works or try to understand them all, and certainly not get into reading all these old stories or books that are from an era long past.
79. Tell the Family a little bit about who these people are--a little bit about their life and why they're famous, why the world recognized them. But then point them toward the new stuff, the good stuff, the inspired stuff, the writings that are coming down from Heaven. Praise the Lord! (End of message from Dad.)
80. {\b \i (Mama:) }During their time on Earth, the Lord inspired and anointed these writers to some extent, probably some more than others, depending on their yieldedness. He was training them and showing them how to use and develop their God-given talents. But since graduating to the next life they have been able to grow spiritually, by learning more about the Lord and His truth, and now their writings are so vibrant and inspired that the things they wrote while on Earth--although some are considered great literary works--are like rough drafts by comparison.
81. It's good to know a little about these famous men and women of times past, to know a little about their lives, where they were from, and what they wrote. But why would you want to spend hours and hours reading through their old material when you can instead turn to the new masterpieces they'll be creating and sending us straight from Heaven? You might get some enjoyment and entertainment from reading the books that some of these folks wrote long ago, but by feeding on the new stories they'll be writing, together with the other wonderful Word treasures the Lord has and will continue to rain down upon us, you can be enlightened and empowered by God's good gold!
A Question About "The Uneager Beaver!"
82. Another question that came up was in regards to the MO Letter "The Uneager Beaver" (ML #352, printed in 1975). You might recall that in that Letter Dad got very upset about a story that a Family member wrote. So we asked the Lord if He could have Dad explain to us how the counsel in that Letter applies today, and what the difference is between that story and the stories that were printed recently in the Zine, for example, that were not exactly spirit stories.
83. {\b \i (Dad speaking:)} Okay, how does that counsel in "The Uneager Beaver" relate to the things that the Lord's pouring out to the Family today? Well, dear Family, that Letter was good and helpful, and it was very good counsel. You might not recall the details of that Letter very well, but there were a lot of reasons why I was upset and disappointed with that story. For one, they had titled the story "Moses David's Squeeze Don't Jerk Color book," when in reality the story didn't contain one word of the MO Letter. It was supposed to be a parable based on the message of "Squeeze, Don't Jerk," but the overall message of the story was moderation. It was lukewarm, a horrible compromise, and nothing at all like the message of "Squeeze, Don't Jerk." In the Letter "Squeeze, Don't Jerk," I'm telling you to go slow, so even the whole theme of the story was off, and they had missed the whole point of "Squeeze, Don't Jerk."
84. Then not only that, the story itself was stupid, ridiculous, silly, unscriptural, frothy, insipid and a total waste of time! It was about a lazy beaver wandering around in the forest wondering what name he should call himself. Just the setting in itself is completely ridiculous and couldn't be further from the truth. When have you ever seen a lazy beaver? They just don't exist! And why would a beaver be wandering around in the forest wondering what to call himself when he'd already been named by Adam?! So the whole foundation, the starting point of that so-called parable, was false; it was a lie. That story was not inspired by the Lord, it was inspired by the Enemy!
85. The children's pub team at that time had spent hours and hours and hours preparing that ridiculous story and illustrating it to the hilt. But when I saw it, when it was sent to me for final approval, it was clear that all their time and effort and energy had been wasted. It was a total loss! And then, to try to pass that stupid story off as a MO Letter, as the Word of God, was an insult, a slap in the face to me and the Lord! We wanted to feed our children the Words of the Lord, the MO Letters, the dreams and visions and stories that the Lord had given me in the Letters--the true Words from the Lord. So for that pubs team to waste their time and energy and effort on something so shallow and false exposed their lack of spirituality and depth in the Lord.
86. Yes, I was furious at that time, but it was not because somebody took the time to write a story. It was because somebody took so much time to write, edit and illustrate a story that was a lie, that wasn't even based on good, sound, spiritual principles and the truth and the Word of God. And then they had the gall and the nerve to put a MO Letter title on it and credit it to me, calling it "Moses David's Squeeze Don't Jerk," so that all the children would have read that silly story and put it on par and given it as much credibility as the stories that they read in the MO Letters! It was ridiculous, and it was a trick of the Enemy to lead the children astray and to weaken their faith in the Word of the Lord and the parables of Jesus and the MO Letters.
87. We've printed stories for the children and the young people in recent years that weren't necessarily spirit stories, they weren't received in prophecy, but they were still good stories. They were inspired by the Lord and based on sound spiritual principles, based on the Word. They weren't a figment of somebody's crazy imagination, or worse yet, inspired by the Devil.
88. Just because we're now receiving spirit stories--stories from our Heavenly helpers, dictated from the Heavenly realm--doesn't mean that the stories printed earlier that were written by Family members or others are not good, or that there's anything wrong with them. The Lord is allowing you to receive stories now from the spirit world via prophecy because there's such a great need, and that method is so much faster. You also don't have to be gifted with writing ability, and you don't even have to be in WS. Anybody in the Family who has the faith and the burden can now receive stories and help to feed our children.
89. So I hope that helps to answer your question and bring things into proper perspective, so you don't criticize the stories that have been printed in the past--even the not-so-distant past, in the {\b \i Zine,} for example--just because they aren't exactly spirit stories. They're still good stories based on the truth with a lot of good, sound, Scriptural lessons. But now one of the Zine editors, Jasmine, has become one of our spirit story writers, and I'm sure she would testify that receiving stories from beyond via prophecy is faster, more efficient, and a much better method.
90. It's a new day! The Lord is doing new things. There's a greater need today. We need these stories. We need that extra news from Heaven, and we need these things that the Lord is pouring out. We weren't quite ready for Heavenly stories back in 1975. Timing is important. Now it's a new day, and the Lord's doing all kinds of new things. And the key in that statement is the Lord! The Lord's doing new things! He's the One that's inspiring these stories! He's the One that's pouring them down. He wasn't the one pouring down or inspiring "The Uneager Beaver" story. So that's the difference. (End of message from Dad.)
91. {\b \i (Mama:) }So there you have it! The Lord is doing a new thing! This project is ordained and designed by Him, and it's going to accomplish His purpose of feeding and inspiring our children--and all of us! If the Lord is calling you and putting the burden in your heart to become a channel and let the Heavenly storytellers beam down their messages through you, then please take the time to stop and listen, and open your mind and heart and receive what they have to give you. And all of you can pray and ask the Lord to help and anoint those who are receiving and working on preparing and publishing the stories! There's so much coming down the Heavenly pipeline, and we'll be trying our best to get it to you as quickly as we can! Thanks for your prayers and your participation! I love you!
Love, Mama
92. P.S. When we were in the process of finalizing this GN, we received a message from an SGA who works in a CRO office. She was sending in her second story, and along with it she sent the following prophecy. I thought it was such a good reminder of the need to take time with the Lord if we want to receive His wonderful Words in the form of stories or other messages, that I want to include it here for your benefit as well.
93. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} Trying to receive a story from Me without first spending time with Me is just like trying to make love without any foreplay. You must first kiss and caress, look into your lover's eyes and concentrate wholly on him, until you become excited, desiring his seeds, and all other thoughts fade from your mind.
94. This is the key to getting the most seeds from Me, to getting your stories in the clearest manner, and with the least effort. Humbling yourself before Me, admitting that you are nothing, that you need Me, is just as a lover who removes her garments in humility, showing that she needs the touch and the kisses and the caresses of her lover.
95. This has been the key to your success, so continue to spend that time in foreplay with Me. For it is not time wasted, and it makes the receiving of My seeds more enjoyable for you, as you are ready, you are sucking, you want them. And you are in the best position possible to receive them as you lie naked, adoring, before Me. It also draws the seeds out of Me, and we become one; and the union produces fruit, stories that will feed and thrill My children. (End of message from Jesus.)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
