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==Stay on the Wall!==

&mdash; ''By [[Karen Zerby|Maria]] and [[Steven Kelly|Peter]], CM/FM#3303 June 2000''


Dear loved ones,


<small><font color=green>1</font></small> '''God bless you! We pray you are doing well and that your Home is progressing in what the Lord is asking of you regarding the era of action.''' Peter and I have been very busy of late, holding more meetings with some of the [[CRO]]s to pray about and discuss the changes needed in the Family that will help us to be what we need to be in the coming months and years. These are extremely busy days, as time is short and the Lord has called us all to a major worldwide witnessing and follow-up push, with one of the ultimate goals being to establish a broader base of Family membership to train more witnessers through serious follow-up of those we lead to the Lord. It’s very exciting, and a lot of progress is being made&mdash;and there’s still a lot to do!

<small><font color=green>2</font></small> '''As is to be expected, when we’re launching a major new move or some very important new project, the Enemy attacks.''' We have felt these attacks in many ways&mdash;not only with Peter's health being weakened by his recent heart attack, but also those we work closely with are having to fight. The Enemy has tried to distract them through afflictions and personal battles, or delay them through such things as computer problems, car breakdowns, etc. Thank the Lord, these hindrances haven’t stopped us or slowed us down in any truly significant way. We have kept our eyes on the Lord and He has continued to come through for us with the miracles, solutions, help, supply, tools, and everything that’s needed for this next phase of our witnessing attack. We thank each of you for your prayers and for doing your part to make it happen as well. Things will only get better as we continue to obey!
 
===Negative Attacks by Former Members===

<small><font color=green>3</font></small> '''In the midst of all this wonderful progress, we've been saddened to hear that some former members who previously seemed content to live and let live with regards to differences they had with the Family have become much more vocal about their grievances and complaints against the Family.''' They’ve taken to writing various Family members, supposedly with the innocuous purpose of simply explaining their decision to leave. In doing so, however, they’ve also gone to some lengths to deride just about all of our religious beliefs, perhaps in the hope of weakening the faith of anyone who reads their communications.

<small><font color=green>4</font></small> '''These letters and other types of communications originate from a small number of former members.''' Most people who have left the Family for whatever reason, either recently or further in the past, go on with their lives without trying to undermine the faith and conviction of those who believe that the Family is the best place for them to serve the Lord and win souls. Most of our former members are very busy with their own careers, families or studies, and hardly have time to waste on trying to attack the Family. They have better things to do with their lives. There are former members who continue to serve the Lord happily in other situations, having found what they feel is a better means of witnessing and maintaining their spiritual lives and caring for their families. We are happy for them.

<small><font color=green>5</font></small> '''It is not our intent to malign those who leave the Family.''' We have nothing to gain from attacking those who once served the Lord with us. We’re thankful for each person who has spent any time whatsoever in the Family, and we believe that the majority are better people because of the experience they had of being missionaries in the Family. And many of them look back with fondness at their time in the Family, as they’ve told us in their letters, e-mail and calls to our 1-800 number.

<small><font color=green>6</font></small> '''Only a relatively small number of ex-members leave and determine to fight the Family, although these few are often very vocal about it.''' To put things into proper perspective, let’s compare the friendly majority with the unfriendly minority. Since the beginning of the Family, approximately [[Statistics|26,000 of those who joined have left]]. Since the [[S2K]], around 600 people have left. So considering the number of former members we have, only a very small number choose to actively engage in a negative campaign against the Family.

===Those Who Attack the Family Are Attacking You as Well!===

<small><font color=green>7</font></small> '''As we said, it’s not our preference to have to rebut such accusations or to talk negatively about anyone.''' We much prefer to let bygones be bygones. We had no intention of publishing any comments or prophecies about any former members or their activities&mdash;until, that is, they began to aggressively attack our flock. We, as your shepherds, are responsible to give you the truth the Lord gives to us. Peter and I don’t have the time, and neither has the Lord shown us, to get into a detailed tit for tat defense on each point that has been leveled&mdash;verbally or in writing&mdash;against us personally or against the Word or WS. We will address many of the main issues in the near future, but for now we want to explain a few basics. These are principles that those of you who have heard, or will hear, the accusations of these former members or read any letters they have written will need to seriously consider and pray about.

<small><font color=green>8</font></small> '''Each of you in the [[CM]] and [[FM]] Family is a member of the Family because of your faith.''' You have made a personal choice to answer the Lord’s call in your life and you have committed yourself accordingly. When someone attacks your faith, you have to make a decision whether those attacks will dissuade you from believing or if you’ll carry on in your commitment to serve the Lord in the place He has called you to, according to your personal faith and conviction. If you are the victim of one of these attacks by disgruntled former members, either verbally or by mail, we ask you to consider the following:

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<small><font color=green>9</font></small> '''What we believe&mdash;the religious doctrines we hold to be true as revealed to us either when Dad was alive or through prophecy since his death&mdash;is our choice.''' We are exercising our freedom of religion. So are you. When former members of the Family take it upon themselves to call your beliefs "weird, pernicious, evil," etc., they are attacking your freedom of religion. They’re not just badmouthing Peter and me or WS, but you as well&mdash;and your work for the Lord!

<small><font color=green>10</font></small> '''What is published in the [[GN]]s is the Word God has given to us, the Family.''' The body of this Word makes up our faith, our religion. The truths and revelations given to us by the Lord are very dear to us. They’re an integral part of our lives. They’re our firmly held religious beliefs. This is our faith, and we have a right to believe it.

<small><font color=green>11</font></small> '''People who attack our doctrines with the intent of pulling you away from the Family&mdash;whether they admit to doing so or not&mdash;are in essence attacking your freedom of religion and belief.''' This doesn’t make them proponents of "religious liberty," like some claim, but opponents of it. The problem doesn’t lie in our doctrines but in their attitudes and intolerance.

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<small><font color=green>12</font></small> '''Every religion, company or organization has rules and regulations that its members must keep if they wish to remain part of it.''' We’re no different. We in the CM Family have the [[Love Charter]], which states the rights and responsibilities of our [[Charter Member]]s, and the rules and regulations one must follow if they wish to live communally in one of our CM Homes. Charter Members understand and agree with this, and most are happy with the Charter and the guidelines in it.

<small><font color=green>13</font></small> '''The choice to be a Charter Member is made by each individual.''' If someone doesn’t want to, or for some reason can’t adhere to the rules and regulations of the Love Charter, but wishes to continue on in the faith with us, they can become a [[Fellow Member]]. While it is not necessary for Fellow Members to keep the rules of the Charter, they are required to keep the rules in the Statement on Fellow Members to remain part of the Family.

<small><font color=green>14</font></small> '''Whether you are a Charter Member or a Fellow Member, you are a member of the Family by your own choice.''' It’s only logical that if you want to be a Family member, then you should follow the rules and regulations. Like any other organization, if you’re a member, you are expected to abide by the rules of the organization; if you don’t, you can’t retain your membership.

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<small><font color=green>15</font></small> '''Peter and I do not keep anyone in the Family against their will.''' The Charter makes it perfectly clear that each Family member is free to leave at any time. In fact, we’ve encouraged anyone to go if they felt the Family was not the place for them. This is not news to you, as with the publishing of the S2K, we asked those who were not committed to living the Charter to reevaluate their place within the Family and to adjust their membership accordingly, by either becoming a Fellow Member or a former member. The idea of our trying to keep people in the Family against their will or through some kind of "pressure," as some have claimed, is simply not true.

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<small><font color=green>16</font></small> '''Judge the Family, Peter and me and the [[Word]] by the fruit, both in your life and in the overall work.''' Judge us by the 341,000 souls won in the last four months, and the nearly 800 million people witnessed to during that same period, as well as the 5.4 million pieces of lit distributed. And that’s only in January through April of this year! In the more than 30 years since the Family began we’ve won nearly 24 million souls, witnessed to billions, and distributed over 1 billion pieces of lit&mdash;besides all the other wonderful fruits of the Family that we mentioned recently in "The End of a Millennium!" (ML #3291).

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<small><font color=green>17</font></small> '''Peter and I understand that anyone, even someone who is dedicated and sold out to the CM Family, will be affected negatively by reading or listening to these former members’ accusations.''' It’s even more difficult when they say they’re your friends. But remember, just because someone claims to be your friend, it doesn’t necessarily make him one. As Jesus said, "He that is not for Me is against Me." Watch out for those who claim to love the people in the Family but who denounce and fight against the doctrine, the leadership or the work of the Family. It could well be that their words are smooth like butter, but war is in their hearts.

<small><font color=green>18</font></small> '''Some say they are compelled out of love to "save the wayward sheep."''' But let’s not be blind to the fact that this is exactly what the anti-cult people claim too. "Oh, we’ve got to rescue them! We’ve got to show them the truth."&mdash;And then come the doubts, deceptions, innuendoes and twisted half-truths.

<small><font color=green>19</font></small> '''Now why do you think they do this? What’s the fruit of it?''' What is their desire?&mdash;To stop our work for the Lord, to stop you, and to get you to quit! Who would want you to lay down your swords and walk away from the battle to win souls? It’s not the Lord, that’s for sure!

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<small><font color=green>20</font></small> '''Peter and I are determined to move into the era of action and are working as hard as we can to promote, finance, prepare for and bring to fruition the witnessing and follow-up explosion that will come about from the [[Activated]] program.''' We are determined to not be distracted by outside attacks, and we implore you, dear Family, to make the same commitment. Keep looking forward at the fields that are white and ready to harvest. We’re here to witness the love of Jesus, not spend our time arguing with those who want to complain and criticize.
 
==="Judge Ye!"===

<small><font color=green>21</font></small> '''We mentioned before about judging the Word, Peter, and me by our fruits.''' Here’s a word from our wonderful Husband on this Scriptural admonition:
 
<small><font color=green>22</font></small> '''(''Jesus speaking'':) What are the fruits of the Words that I have given to Maria and Peter?''' What have those Words done in your lives? Yes, some people have rejected the Words and have felt that they weren’t good words, and they have claimed, "These Words have hurt me!" But the problem is not with the Words; it is the lack of receptivity of the readers. For the fruit of the Words, the fruit of the instruction that Maria and Peter have given has been good.

<small><font color=green>23</font></small> '''There are those who claim, as if they were an authority on the matter or had some special knowledge, that the Family’s good works do not result from the Family’s doctrine, from the Word that I have poured out to you.''' They would claim that your fruit is not the result of the Words that I have given to your David and Maria over the years&mdash;the lifeblood of the Family, the sap which gives life to the tree-but that this fruit comes solely from you. This is false.

<small><font color=green>24</font></small> '''You hear My voice, you read My Words, and you know the truth that is contained within them.''' You feel the spirit of love, My Spirit, which comes through My Words that I speak in prophecy, and you are motivated to do these wonderful things. If that were not the case, then most of the people who depart would continue to bring forth the fruit they did while they were in the Family-winning souls, changing lives, distributing the message, lifting Me up.

<small><font color=green>25</font></small> '''It’s not just the personal motivation of you in the Family that causes the good fruit, but it’s My Word that motivates you,''' that gives you the faith, vision, courage and initiative. It’s My message that lights the fire in your hearts, that gives you the willingness to sacrifice and live a life for Me, a life of giving to others. As your David said, when someone cuts off their lifeline, the Word, it’s as if they’re turning away from the pillar of light, and they begin to grow dark and cold. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have some light, some truth; but because of their decisions they’re not able to receive the full truth, the full light.

<small><font color=green>26</font></small> '''Whether they like it or not, these who speak against you must admit that you, My precious children in the Family, are sacrificial;''' you give of yourselves and are motivated to do that which is good. These outsiders must admit that being in the Family is a sacrificial and giving life. These who turn against you must confess that the Family does good, that the Family is motivated, and that Family members are wonderful people.

<small><font color=green>27</font></small> '''Well, what makes you that way, dear Family?''' What makes you that way is My Word&mdash;the leadership, direction, guidance, and counsel that I have given through Maria and Peter. For if it were not that, then the same would be said of all who no longer serve Me in the Family. It would be said of them, "Look at the wonderful work they all do! Look at all they are accomplishing for God."

<small><font color=green>28</font></small> It is not to say that they do evil in their lives, for many of them do good. But it shows that it’s My Word poured forth through Maria and Peter that helps to motivate you in the Family, to give you direction, to feed your souls on a regular basis in a way that none of My other children are fed throughout the world. This is the treasure, the beauty, the wonder that causes My Family to be great, to accomplish so much with so little!

<small><font color=green>29</font></small> '''Is the leadership of the Family perfect, without fault, having never made a mistake? Of course not!''' They are like any other men or women, but they are My tools, My instruments, those that I have chosen. They are yielded to Me and they are willing to publish what I say. They are desperate to get it right. No one, except for Me, can fully know the depth of their desperation and their desire to do that which is right.

<small><font color=green>30</font></small> '''So I say simply, "Judge ye."''' You read the Word, you read the GNs, and you apply them to your life. Do My Words bring you comfort in time of need? Do they motivate you to do good things? Do they encourage you and uplift you and at times correct you and help you to stay on the straight and narrow path of a life of full-time service to Me and others?
 
===Those Who Are Bound Would Bind Those Who Are Free===

<small><font color=green>31</font></small> '''Let no man dissuade you, for I say straight is the way and narrow is the gate, and few there be that go in thereat.''' You are different; you are chosen and I feed you My Words, special Words, Words I do not speak to others. I give you truths that you can receive, that you can use in your life, truths that others cannot believe because they choose not to believe, because they are closed-minded, closed-hearted, and bound by the traditions of man and the false doctrines and interpretations of the churches. They have taken upon themselves again the yoke of bondage that your David had freed you from.

<small><font color=green>32</font></small> '''I have set you free!''' You are My free children. You are they who revel in My Word, who believe My Word, who are willing to live My Word, and who are open to all that I wish to pour out to you. These who fight against you in this way, who feel they are doing God’s service, wish to put you under the same bondage they are under. "Oh," they say, "you cannot be so free in the bed of love with your Husband, Jesus." They say it because they are not free. "Oh, you cannot hear from those that have passed on, from those in the spirit world." They say it because they are not free enough to believe it and to receive it.

<small><font color=green>33</font></small> '''I say unto you, where My Spirit is, there is freedom, and the more of My Spirit which is present, the more freedom there is!''' My Spirit is heavy upon you, My children of David, and you are free. And whom I have set free is free indeed. You are free spiritually, physically and sexually; you are free from the bonds of the System, from the bonds of the churches, because you are My children.

<small><font color=green>34</font></small> '''Don’t let these who would bind you to their limited mindsets have sway over you, for they seek to bind.''' Be not bound, for you are free! You are free because of the Words I have given to you, and you are clean through the Words that I have given to you. You are motivated through the Words that I have given to you, and you are full of love and light and truth and joy and happiness because of the Words that I have given to you. You have strength to fight the battles, to move forward, to defeat the Enemy because of the Words that I have given to you.
 
===Your Shepherds Point You to Me===

<small><font color=green>35</font></small> '''In regards to Maria and Peter, whom I have chosen to be your leadership, My mouthpieces, ask yourself these questions:''' Have they caused you to turn your eyes toward them? Have they claimed to have some very special link with Me and therefore said that to get to Me you must go through them? Or have they told you to look directly to Me? Have they told you to love Me? Have they told you to make Me the first and foremost influence in your life? Have they worked to get you to hear from Me? Have they worked to get you to have a direct link with Me? Have they worked to help you be closer and more intimate with Me?

<small><font color=green>36</font></small> '''Your shepherds know what’s most important; they love you enough to direct you to Me.''' Your shepherds are not seeking to claim the glory. They are not trying to set themselves up as something special, but rather they know where the Great Shepherd is and they recognize the power of the Great Shepherd. They tell their sheep, "Look, there is the true Shepherd&mdash;Jesus! He is the Chief Shepherd. That is your focus! He is your Husband, your Lover, your Savior. Look unto Him, face Him, communicate with Him, hear from Him, get your directions from Him. Find out from Him what you should do day by day and moment by moment."

<small><font color=green>37</font></small> '''Your queen and king are simply instruments in My hand,''' and I have spoken unto them and told them to tell you to turn your eyes to Me, and this they have done.
 
===Come Unto Me with Your Questions===

<small><font color=green>38</font></small> '''My children, be not deceived! Do not let those who are bound cause you to be bound with them.''' Do not let those who will not receive the love of the truth cause you to be deluded. Look at Me, face Me, hear from Me. If you’ve read letters from former members who are attacking the Family and your beliefs, or heard such comments from them personally, don’t let it shake your faith. Ask yourself the questions that I have asked you here. Come to Me in prayer. Ask Me to speak to your heart. Hear from Me clearly. Listen to My voice and to what I tell you when you bring these matters before Me, for I will show you the truth.

<small><font color=green>39</font></small> '''Remember, those who write such things have ulterior motives, but I have no motive other than to love you and to tell you the truth.''' So come unto Me. If you are having doubts, if you have been affected by these who have written their version of history, then come to Me and receive My version, which is truth. You can hear from Me, so bring these matters before Me and I will speak to you. It’s as simple as that. You don’t have to look to Maria and Peter to refute all of these accusations and give you the answers. You don’t have to wonder, "What did happen? What is truth?" Come to Me. Look to Me. Bring your questions to Me, open your heart to Me and let Me speak to you. For I am your Husband and I will whisper in your ears because I love you, because you are My sheep, and because you are doing a marvelous job.

<small><font color=green>40</font></small> '''You are building the wall of My work, but there are many, in many instances, in many different ways, who come to you and say, "Come down off the wall."''' But I say to you, you are building the wall of My love which I wish to encompass the world. Let no man deceive you. Don’t come down off the wall! Look unto Me for the truth. (''End of message from Jesus.'')
 
===Stay on the Wall and Stick to Your Job! ===

<small><font color=green>41</font></small> '''(''Mama'':) Dear Family, Peter and I have been working on some GNs which answer many of the questions you have asked, as well as some of the rumors that are flying around about us, WS, the Word, etc.''' As soon as they are completed, we will send them to you. But we cannot stop our work on the Activated push at this time simply to address the accusations and complaints of some disgruntled former members. We will not be dissuaded or distracted from producing the beautiful witnessing tools and comprehensive follow-up programs that we know will result in millions of souls saved and thousands of new members, co-workers and disciples joining our work for the Lord. The Enemy wants to distract us, to cause us to be double-minded, to lay down our weapons and get into little skirmishes on the sideline, away from the frontline of our war on evil, but we aren’t going to do it. We’re sticking to our main job&mdash;winning the world! We suggest you do the same!

<small><font color=green>42</font></small> '''If you receive such negative, divisive letters from former members, via e-mail or otherwise, even if they are your old friends, we would encourage you to not bother to read them.''' It’s like Sanballat and Tobiah all over again. (See Nehemiah 4.) They wanted to voice their doubts and accusations within earshot of the Children of Israel because they knew that their words would have an effect, and they wanted to stop them from building the wall. Those examples are in the Bible for our benefit, especially those of us who have now come to the Last Days when the spiritual warfare surely becomes hotter and heavier than at any time in history. If you’re concerned about your spiritual health and want to accomplish all you can for Jesus, if you don’t want to wound yourself unnecessarily so that you’re not able to wage a good warfare in God’s Endtime army, then we would encourage you to not let your curiosity push you to dignify such communications with your attention. And don’t send them on to other people.

<small><font color=green>43</font></small> '''Remember, these people are attacking your faith, so don’t promote or participate in their attack by forwarding their letters to others.''' It’s unwise for you to pollute your spirit and bring a lot of doubts and confusion to your mind by dwelling on things that are definitely not going to help you stay strong. If you’ve already read such letters, then you need to get cleansed of any doubts by seeking the Lord, having prayer and getting help from your shepherds. Don’t let those doubts take root in your heart. Don’t let them grow until you’re weakened to the point of being defeated and giving up your service for the Lord! You need to take a stand against this attack on your faith. Whose word are you going to believe, God’s or man’s?
 
===We’re Forging Ahead into the Future! ===

<small><font color=green>44</font></small> '''Folks, we have entered a new stage of the Family.''' Peter and I are busy with the Family’s future. We’re busy with where the Family’s going, the era of action, the changes that are coming, the advances the Lord wants us to make. We’re moving forward in accordance with the plan the Lord has given us. If you want to go forward with us, let’s go!

<small><font color=green>45</font></small> '''We refuse to dwell in the past. We’re moving on to the future!''' The past is the past. We’ve answered for it, and we’ve apologized a number of times in the GNs to those who were hurt or mistreated. Most people seem to have accepted those apologies, while a few former members won’t be satisfied unless we renounce our faith or disband the Family, neither of which we will ever do.

<small><font color=green>46</font></small> '''We’ve made many positive changes in the Family to make sure that the problems of the past will not recur.''' Some people insist on bringing up things from the past that we have gone through in court case after court case and have resolved. Those things have been answered or have been apologized for, and that’s it! We refuse to allow them to chain us to the past.

<small><font color=green>47</font></small> '''We’re moving forward! Are you with us?''' If not, now's a good time to go. We’re headed on to higher ground, and if you don’t want to go there with us, then you’d do better to move on.

<small><font color=green>48</font></small> '''If you’re here, let’s go forward and win the rest of the world.''' Let’s do the job and build His wall of love together without the distractions of those who try to bind us, discourage us and defeat us. We are on the attack! We’re challenging Satan, winning the world for Jesus, and nothing will dissuade us. How about you?


Much love in Jesus,

Mama and Peter
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