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Latest revision as of 01:26, 28 July 2006
The Weakness Revolution--How You Can Make It! Happy New Year 1999, Part 2 Maria #464 CM/FM 3218 11/98
--By Maria
Continued from GN 819. Please read 819 first.
In this issue:
Diligently tend the garden of your heart! 1
Complete obedience brings on My complete blessings! 2
As long as you fight the Enemy's lies and doubts, you'll stay strong in spirit! 4
This is the year of decisions! 6
Breakings and remakings! 7
To the Lord's Endtime Christian army! 11
Practical tips for progress 14
Diligently Tend the Garden of Your Heart!
203. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }Sometimes you go along day by day, and you don't realize that you need to be more vigilant and on guard, because the Enemy walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. So you must diligently tend the garden of your heart every day.
204. It's not enough just to bury yourself in your work. You can't measure your spiritual state by your accomplishments in the physical. You must also tend to your spiritual state and take time to tend the garden of your heart by watering it faithfully with the Word, by pulling out the weeds that spring up, that can eventually choke out your fruitfulness if not recognized and pulled up while they're still small.
205. It's a daily process and one that you cannot neglect. Taking time to hear from Me every day is one way to check in with the Master Gardener and to make sure that everything's okay. You need to make a conscious effort to not just praise Me, but to also listen to My voice and receive My instruction. Also don't neglect to read the Word and really study it and treasure it. Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.
206. And, of course, give all the glory to Me for whatever work you do, and continue to stay in counsel. One way to tell if you are drifting away from being humble is when you stop really seeking counsel from others and double-checking your decisions.
207. There's much to be done, but I've used your weakness to keep you humble and desperate and thankful for your place. So keep this feeling in your heart. Remember always how weak you are in the flesh, and continue to praise Me for what I've done in your life, for it has been a part of My plan to keep you humble. (End of message from Jesus.)
Complete Obedience Brings on My Complete Blessings!
208.' {\b \i (Mama:) }The next prophecy was received by one of the SGA girls in our Home. You'll notice that Jesus is speaking to her in a rather direct manner, one that you might even be surprised to hear and you might think is rather strong, but that's because He said she likes it that way.
209. Jesus knows exactly what we need and how to present His counsel and guidance to each person. He doesn't speak to all of us in the same way. With those who are more sensitive, He varies His presentation according to their need. And with those who like it direct and straightforward, He's obliging, as you'll see in this next message.
210. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} The Enemy is on an all-out attack, and he will stop at nothing to pull My children away from Me. Nobody is immune to the attacks of the Enemy. It doesn't matter whether you're a missionary on the field or a secretary in WS. It doesn't matter whether you're a mother with 12 children or a CRO shepherding a country. It doesn't matter whether you're a young person or a FGA. The Devil plays for keeps, and since he knows that his time is short, he's on an all-out attack against the lives, hearts and minds of those who love and serve Me.
211. So you who are helping to pump out the Word, in whatever way, are getting hit too. You're not immune; nobody's immune. The only immunization you have against the attacks of the Enemy is the Word. In addition to that, I've also given you many weapons with which to fight back. But if you're not willing to use them, you're going to get smithereened, because the Enemy's using his big guns.
212. And as for you, what do I have for you? What do I want you to learn? I want you to learn foremost and above all that if you don't use the new weapons of praise, prophecy, and loving Me intimately, continually, then you're not going to make it. I'm sorry, but I have to spell it out clearly and directly. I know you don't like Me beating around the bush, so I'm just going to tell it like it is. I don't talk to all of My children like this, because some are more sensitive than others, and with those who are more sensitive I like to be a lot less direct. But I know you like it and you appreciate it, and you even ask Me to be straightforward with you, so I am.
213. You can't just passively use these new weapons when you feel like it. For example, hear from Me in prophecy when you feel like it or when you're in a desperate situation, or praise Me when you remember, and put off loving Me intimately. I know you try to do all these things, but you aren't desperate enough in your use of them. You do better with prophecy, but even that weapon could be used more in your life.
214. As for praise and loving Me intimately, these areas are sadly lacking in your life. I know you try, but you often forget about praise time; you often forget about loving Me intimately, especially on your dates. But see, forgetting isn't a good excuse, because when you find yourself forgetting to have praise time, you can help yourself to remember. Put big signs up on your wall reminding you to praise. Have someone else give you reminders. Don't only limit it to three times a day--do it as much as you possibly can!
215. Praising Me brings down many blessings, and one of these blessings is humility. As I've said before, it's a day of the weak, and in order to stay weak and realize that you are weak, you have to be humble; and in order to be humble, you have to continually praise Me and give Me all the glory for everything--everything that you do, everything that you accomplish, everything that you enjoy. Everything!
216. Loving Me intimately is another area that you're slacking off in. In order to grow in this area you have to make a conscious effort. At first you're going to have to will yourself to do it, until you get into the habit of it. Make a commitment with Me right now. Say, "From this day forth I'm always--not just sometimes--going to include You in on my sexual activities. Every time I have a date I'm going to love You intimately at the same time." And do it!
217. I know that it's your desire to be closer to Me and to use the new weapons more zealously; you just needed a little nudge in the right direction. So this is your little nudge. I promise that if you do these things, your life will be fuller, richer, more blessed. You'll have much more strength to fight the Enemy and his attacks because you'll always have a new weapon ready to fire at him to blast him away.
218. Some areas in your life that you need to watch out for and safeguard against are criticalness and familiarity--not with your shepherds, for I know that you respect and love them dearly, but with your other mates and co-workers. I've noticed that lately you've been getting a little critical of others.
219. Well, you thought these thoughts were justified, but you'd better not let the Enemy get into your life through criticalness and familiarity. If you have a problem or a question, don't let it build up in your heart; get it out, share your heart. If you share your heart and your feelings, either something will be changed or the Enemy will be exposed; either way, you win.
220. But if you hold things in and keep pondering the thoughts, however justified they may seem to be, you're in for trouble. Those little questioning thoughts then turn into full-fledged criticisms. Then once you've entertained one critical thought and the Enemy sees you haven't resisted it, he'll give you another and another and another. Guard against this attack of the Enemy.
221. Yes, you do have talents. Yes, I have given you gifts. But I am the one who has given these things, and I have given the anointing. From one day to the next I could withdraw My anointing if you ever fell into the trap of taking the glory and credit to yourself. You must constantly guard against this.
222. Practical ways to do this would be to continually praise and thank Me for what I'm doing through you. Continually remind yourself and others that it's not you; it's Me that is doing this great work.
223. And, of course, it goes without saying that an increase in your Word intake would not be amiss. It's the Word that keeps you! There's not really an amount of Word that is too much, so please get as much time in the Word as you can possibly fit in. I'm not saying that you can no longer do other fun things, but limit these extracurricular activities if they are taking the place of your Word time.
224. I'm sorry if this sounds like a whole bunch of rules and regulations, but I'm giving you this counsel for your good. And really, when you put it all into practice, you'll find that your whole life will flow so much more smoothly. When you follow Me in complete obedience, you receive My complete blessings. I don't hinder or punish those who follow closely. I don't give them less fun, less excitement, or less joy--I give them more! I give them an abundance!
225. So if you're moving forward in the spirit and following Me even closer than you ever have before, and using the new weapons even more than you ever have before, then I'm not going to punish you by making your work harder; I'm going to bless you by making your work easier! Your days will go more smoothly and your life will be filled with more of My blessings as a result of your obedience. (End of message from Jesus.)
As Long as You Fight the Enemy's Lies and Doubts, You'll Stay Strong in Spirit!
226.{\b \i (Mama:)} The next message is a sobering warning and very good counsel to all about the weakening effects of doubts and listening to the Enemy, and how it can destroy your service for the Lord if you don't recognize it and get help.
227. The Lord gave this message when we asked Him specifically how people become weakened to the point where they eventually give up their crown. This warning is helpful counsel for everyone, in order to make us wiser to the attacks of the Enemy. The Lord knows that as the End draws nearer, the Family needs to be vigilant against the attacks of the Enemy, and He's preparing us now and helping us to be armed and on guard.
228. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }Just as I speak to the minds of My children with the truth, with good thoughts, with love and light, so the Enemy tries to speak to people's minds with his lies and everything negative and wrong. But as long as you fight in the spirit against the doubts of the Enemy, no matter what they are--about My Word, about My queen and king being in tune with Me and led by Me, about the direction that My Spirit is leading the Family in the Last Days, about My Law of Love, about Loving Jesus, about the weapons of the new day--as long as you fight the lies, you'll stay strong in spirit.
229. As long as you fight the voice of discouragement and doubt from the Enemy, who tries to tell you that I won't help you with your weaknesses, no matter what they are--negative thinking, jealousy, pride, unprayerfulness--you will remain strong in spirit.
230. As long as you fight against the spirit of the Enemy, his spirit of discouragement, his fears of the future, his spirit of bitterness over events in your life--whether about relationships with others, your ministry, your circumstances, your love life, or whatever--you'll be able to keep the Enemy's lies out of your mind and function more in faith and in My Spirit.
231. As long as you fight the spirit of resentment, or feeling that you're not talented, or that because of your circumstances things aren't working out for you, or that people don't love you, or your shepherds don't love you, or feeling that you won't be able to keep up with the moves of My Spirit, that you'll be left behind, or that you're too old or too young to be useful to Me, or you're the wrong nationality or in the wrong place to be useful to Me and really make a difference--as long as you fight these lies of the Enemy, you'll go on and make progress and bear fruit.
232. But as soon as you start accepting these lies, entertaining them and dwelling on them, they can grow in your heart and life and overtake the truth because you didn't resist them, you didn't call out to Me or to your shepherds for help. If you allow yourself to think on these things, you'll eventually believe them. If you're afraid to be completely open with your shepherds about the attacks of the Enemy, if you're ashamed of these attacks on your spirit and you try to keep them inside and ignore them, then you won't be able to get the help you need, and you'll grow weaker.
233. If you start accepting the Enemy's voice about one thing, you'll start believing other lies of the Enemy. If you start thinking that I don't love you, it can lead to thinking that others don't love you. If you accept discouragement in one area and you don't fight it, it can lead to discouragement about other areas, thinking that you aren't useful to Me, that you're not needed or valued.
234. You may even begin to resent My calling in your life and no longer be thankful for your place of service. If you continue to accept the lies of the Enemy and his discouragement and doubts, and you stop receiving My Word and walking in the spirit of faith, you'll stop recognizing My anointing and My blessings in your life. This will lead to believing other lies of the Enemy, and you'll begin to doubt My Word and My love for you. You'll begin to doubt that the Family is the best place to be, that it's My calling for you. You'll begin to doubt My anointed shepherds of the Family and the things that I speak through them.
235. You'll begin to doubt My voice of prophecy, the things which are being spoken for your encouragement and guidance. If you don't accept prophecy by faith, but are skeptical about My Words of prophecy and don't think it's important to receive them, you'll start agreeing more and more with the voice of the Enemy.
236. Such thoughts and doubts won't happen overnight, but it'll be a gradual process, because you haven't been resisting them and absorbing the truth and My Words. If you're not striving to stay stirred up in spirit, desperate, and feeding from My Word, the Enemy's lies and doubts and fears and discouragement can find root easily in your mind, and you'll start agreeing with and following the voice of the Enemy more than My voice and the truth.
237. If you just brush aside the nagging doubts, or try to cover them up and hope they'll go away instead of bringing them into the light and desperately seeking counsel and prayer and deliverance, you'll just grow weaker. These are not just little questions that you wonder about or little things that you do not understand, but they are doubts. And as your Father David has said, if you do not fight them, you will find that they turn into monsters that will attack and devour you.
238. If you try to ignore and brush them aside, thinking that it isn't really that big of a deal, that everything will work out in the end--then when the day of greater testing and battles comes, you'll be too weak to fight them. You'll be unprepared for the blows of the Enemy, unprepared for battles in the spirit. You'll be weak because you yielded to the voice of the Enemy so often and opened the door to his lies. You won't be able to resist his attacks in your weakened state, because your sword of the spirit will have been dulled, your ears of the spirit will have become hard of hearing, and your will to fight will have been weakened.
239. But if you seek help and confess your battles to your shepherds or others who can fight with you and pray for you and help you, you'll be able to resist the Enemy's lies. You'll be able to forsake them. You'll be strengthened in spirit. But if you think such confession will alienate you from your shepherds, or that you'll lose people's respect or trust, this will stop your progress and getting the help you need to win victories.
240. If you fight in the spirit against the lies of the Enemy, seek help and prayer, you'll go forward and make progress and become stronger. My Words will keep you and give you spiritual strength. And the more you put your trust in My Word and follow My Spirit, the stronger you'll be, and you'll be able to move forward. The more you resist the attacks and lies of the Enemy, the more you'll be operating in the power of My Spirit, letting My Spirit work in you.
241. When a person is backsliding spiritually, going the wrong direction and getting off track, the process of their weakening begins with little things, little lies and twists of the truth that the Enemy whispers to their hearts. It starts off gradually and slowly. It doesn't happen overnight with just one big thing that they find hard to accept, and because of that one big thing they make the decision to leave it all behind--all the years of faithful service, all the years that I have provided for them and cared for them, all the blessings of Family life, the joy and fulfillment and challenge of missionary service.
242. But it's by allowing the infiltration of the Enemy's lies into the mind, a slow and constant dripping of the voice of the Enemy, a steady stream of his doubts and lies over this and that, that the real damage is done to the spirit, that the real weakening of the spirit begins. For by allowing the voice of the Enemy into their life, they are allowing him to tear down their faith and to weaken the foundation of their faith.
243. They might not even notice it. It might not seem like a big deal at first. It's just a little negative thinking, a little entertaining of some bitterness or resentment. But the problem comes when such thoughts of the Enemy become habitual, a regular part of the mindset and thought pattern.
244. Everyone has negative thoughts. Everyone has battles with the voice of the Enemy, because he's as a roaring lion seeking whom he may lie to and devour. But as you resist these temptations and call to Me for help, I will deliver and strengthen. Everyone has to fight the voice of discouragement at some time, or fight the temptation of the Enemy to doubt My love for you, or to doubt My voice of prophecy, or My Word, or to hold on to bitterness, resentment or grudges. But as you humble yourself before Me and seek My help each time, I will be your help in time of need.
245. The temptation is not the problem. The big problem comes when they no longer fight the Enemy's lies, or fight his spirit in their lives, or strive to stay close to Me and My Word; when they are no longer willing to humble themselves and confess their need for Me; when they are no longer willing to be abased and confess their sins and weaknesses and call out to Me for help and deliverance.
246. When the mind entertains and accepts the lies of the Enemy and doesn't seek to be washed and cleansed from these lies, it becomes a little weaker. The longer and more often the person who is going backward spiritually allows his mind and spirit to dwell on the negative instead of resisting it, the easier it becomes for him to start to believe the lies as if they were facts and the truth. Truth resisted loses its power over the mind, and as the wayward one turns away from the truth and refuses to be humbled by the truth, he begins to accept and believe the lie.
247. He begins to actually believe the opposite of the truth. His mind will twist the truth, distort the facts, and misinterpret events, because of months or years of wrong thinking, wrong attitudes, and a lack of standing up to the voice of the Enemy. Even if the truth is obvious to others and all can see it, still, because the person who is backslidden in heart and mind hasn't exercised his faith in My Word and in My love for him and hasn't kept his sword of the Spirit sharp, he will not be able to see the truth that is right before his eyes.
248. He has chosen to believe a lie in order to support his position. It's too difficult, too humbling, too devastating to his pride to admit he's wrong, that he's been wrong about many things, so he hangs on to the lie and maintains his stand.
249. He actually believes the lie because he's chosen to. He's chosen to reject the truth and embrace the lie. And because he's made this decision in his mind and heart, even the way he looks at past events or facts becomes twisted and distorted, not reality.
250. It takes faith to stand up to the lies of the Enemy. It takes faith in My Word. But with that mustard seed of faith there is great, great power--power to overcome, power to be strong in spirit, power against the lies of the Enemy, and power for the Endtime. Those of faith, those who stay close to Me and My Word, are very strong in spirit and have the power to stand up to the lies of the Enemy.
251. People don't realize the tremendous blessing and power of My Word! Sometimes even My children don't realize how great a power they're wielding, and how their faith in My Word is keeping them and protecting them from many attacks of the Enemy. One little Word shall fell him. (End of message from Jesus.)
This Is the Year of Decisions!
252. {\b \i (Jesus speaking to Mama and Peter:)} I've brought My children through many crises over the years. Many fierce winds have blown, much persecution has come. There have been defections. There's been strong meat. There have been times when things were very rough, and yet My children have made it through. For they are flexible children, wise children.
253. You have poured out a great deal of Word, and this Word, My Word, has had an effect on the hearts and the lives of My children. They know it's the year of the bottom line, and they know that I'm expecting more of them. It will cause many to search their hearts and to make a decision. And this is the year of the bottom line. This is the year that I am forcing My children to make their decisions. For when I take you into the land of the fulfillment of My promises, I want those that are full of faith, those that believe, to be they that march through.
254. So don't worry if some fall by the wayside, or if the faith of some is shaken, for the decision is theirs. They will have to choose whether to fall by the wayside or to keep moving forward. But I say that the land of My promises, the fulfillment of the things that I have said is ahead, and I wish only My children who are full of faith, who are fully on board, to march in.
255. So send forth this call, and along with My Words and the way that I work in the hearts of My children--the purging and purifying, the tests and trials, the victories and growth--it will cause each one to have to make their stand of faith. You will see those who are faithful and loyal and who will march forward with you, and in these you will rejoice. I am so proud of the children of David--they that are willing to go forth by faith; they that are willing to follow My Word in the ways that I move, the way that My Spirit leads; those who are willing to let Me take them to new heights, new revelations, through new moves of My Spirit. And it is My children of David that I wish to bless in the land of the fulfillment of My promises. (End of message from Jesus.)
Breakings and Remakings!
256. {\b \i (Mama:)} This next prophecy is a message that was given for one of our most faithful, long-time CROs--Steven (Silas, of Endureth). Many of you know Steven; he's led a very fruitful work in the ASCRO area for many years. He and his teamworkers have done very very well in many aspects of their leadership and shepherding responsibilities, for which we're very thankful.
257. Recently the Lord zeroed in on Steven's personal sample and mode of operation and brought out some lessons, pinpointing specific areas that he needed to improve in. Of course, we all have weak areas that we're working on, as I'm sure you understand. No one is without battles, problems and besetting sins. One of the responsibilities of a leader is to be an example to others, and in some cases, to be an example of what not to do so that others can be warned and learn.
258. Dear Steven has been a very good sample in some ways, and in other ways his sample has been lacking. He has very graciously and humbly agreed to having the following message published for the whole world, which is very helpful for various reasons. To begin with, this helps to set the record straight for any of you who might have had questions about some aspect of Steven's personal sample or leadership style. It also helps to keep Steven humble, and humility is something we all need, not just Steven. And it allows you, dear Family, the opportunity to learn from his lessons.
259. I'm sure if you put yourself in Steven's place you will realize that this is a difficult thing to do. No one likes to be on the "hot seat" publicly. No one likes to have their mistakes or failures broadcast to others. This is a death to self and pride, and I hope you will make this worthwhile for Steven by doing your part to learn from this message. If you read this following prophecy just for interest, or worse yet, to accuse and judge Steven, then you're missing the whole point!
260. When we asked the Lord whether we should include Steven's name with this message, He had the following to say:
261. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} I challenge you, dear Family, to be mature in your reaction to this message and not to point the finger or get self-righteous, but see where you too are guilty of the same weaknesses. It's a strong, wise leader who is willing to be the "dandy bad example" so that others can be strengthened. It's real love. It's death to self. I admire that in someone, and you should too. This humbling before the Family should make you love Steven more, not less. You should respect him more, not less. You should be willing to follow his leadership more, not less. Because you should see in the spirit that he has maintained his place of leadership because of his willingness to change and improve and confess his faults and be what he needs to be in this new day.
262. And as for those who would use this as fuel for criticism, I say that I see and I know each heart, and I reward and chasten accordingly. Those who are tempted to feel justified in their criticism would do well to remember that no matter what Steven's problems were, all that touched their personal lives was from My hand and happened for a reason. So there is no need nor allowance made for bitterness, for there were no "mistakes" that touched those he shepherded that I did not allow for a good reason and to teach lessons, to draw them closer to Me.
263. Many Family members, especially young people, are very afraid of public confession, public prayer, public humbling. For that reason, many fail to avail themselves of the power of united prayer and many miss the blessings of the love, compassion and unity they could receive if they would only humble themselves before their loved ones and Home members. This public exposure of a top leader should help you to see that there's nothing wrong with confessing your faults, being willing to admit where you've been wrong. In fact, it's a sign of greatness, yieldedness, and there's a marvelous future for those who do so.
264. Steven is doing the Family a service in more ways than one. He is laying down his life, killing his reputation, denying himself, and sacrificing his pride and image that others might live. That's a painful process, but the rewards are worth it. (End of message from Jesus.)
265. {\b \i (Mama:)} Also, when we prayed about how to present this message, Dad had the following to say:
266. {\b \i (Dad speaking:)} I'm so proud of Steven for having yielded to the Lord's will and for saying yes to the things the Lord has asked of him. He really has done well and is a good sample of what the Lord can do with someone who is yielded and willing to change. It's a good testimony that I think will give people faith for themselves.
267. Steven is making it. After years of some bad habits and in spite of some setbacks, he's fighting and overcoming and has made progress in the spirit. And I feel his testimony will encourage others that they can make it too. There's hope for everybody! Like I said, you can never be too bad for Jesus, and if you yield and forsake your own ways and do things God's way, He'll do great things for you. (End of message from Dad.)
268. {\b \i (Mama:)} So, dear Family, I pray you'll prove yourselves wise and mature by reading this message in a spirit of openness and respect. Please learn what you can from these lessons, because you too may be suffering from the same weaknesses and you may need to learn and grow in the same areas.
269. I want to ask you a special favor. Now that you know who the prophecy was given for and which one of your CROs is learning these particular lessons, I want you to forget about Steven. I want you to think about yourself and how this message applies to you and what the Lord is trying to show you! This could be a real lifesaver for you!
270.{\b \i (Dad speaking:)} You've got to realize that this is a new day. It's the day of women, the day of the weak, the day of each disciple following the Lord according to their own faith. It's the day of teamworking. It's the day of confessing your faults one to another, and praying one for another that you may be healed. It's the day of being a woman in the spirit, of letting the Lord be your Husband, letting Him be the macho man, the big general, the strong leader, the faultless role model.
271. You're not expected to be any of these things to either the sheep or to your co-workers. In fact, you need to desperately pray and ask the Lord to help you to be weak, to help you to be meek, to help you to trust the Lord, to help you give the reins to others. You need to jump for joy when the Lord shows up your faults to others, and strive to show yourself just as you are--a weak man who doesn't know anything.
272. Son, the Lord and Mama and Peter and I have been trying to tell the Family for a while now that it's no longer a day where you can only lean on your years of experience, or the wisdom you've gained, or your great knowledge. Hard as that might be to swallow, none of that counts anymore when it really comes down to the wire.
273. The battle plans have changed drastically, and unless you get on board, you're going to keep sending mixed signals to the troops that it's not really the day of new weapons and of looking to the Lord and trusting Him for everything, but that it's still a day of personal strength and toeing the line to big cheese leaders and the bureaucracy of shepherd after shepherd after shepherd having to approve something.
274. You've got to remember that neither the Lord nor I nor Mama or Peter have given up on you or labeled you as a "leader of the past." You sure will be if you don't yield and let the Lord break you and remake you into the new man He wants you to be, but we're expecting you to make that change. We expect you to take this correction like the officer you are, the honored knight riding behind Mama and Peter.
275. I'm counting on you to use every single skill and trick in the book that you've learned over the years about fighting through and holding on when the Enemy is screaming at you that it's no use, when he's trying to convince you that nobody appreciates you anymore, and that in fact everyone's out to humiliate and degrade you. You're going to have to scream back at Satan that you aren't going to listen to his lies, that instead you're going to leave your weights of pride, get off your high horse, and squeeze through this tight spot to join the rest of us who've already caught on to this new move of the Spirit.
276. It's death, Son, and nothing less, and who ever said that death is easy? Natural death sure is easy, when the Lord calls you Home, but the dying daily, the dying to yourself and your natural reasoning, is just agony. You have to remember that we wouldn't ask this of you if it weren't possible. In other words, it is possible for you to change! It's possible for you to become a new man, to become the weak, meek, yielded vessel that the Lord wants to make you into. It's possible, if you just say yes.
277. Reread my "bottom line" message, because this is the bottom line for you. Everybody's going to have something that hits them personally as being the Lord's bottom line for them. This is your bottom line. We need you to accept these new moves of the Spirit. The Lord wants to use you much more in the future, but until you accept the changes He wants you to make in your life, in your thoughts, in your ways of operating and your attitudes, He won't be able to.
278. That's just to reassure you that this doesn't mean you're finished. You might feel like you are. You might feel like resigning--in fact, I know you'll feel like it! It's such a blow to the pride when such drastic changes are needed; when you've operated a certain way for so many years and before so many people, and then are required to make a U-turn. But, Son, that's exactly what the Lord has in mind. He doesn't just want your pride to be hit, but He wants it to die! It can't live if you want to hear the special future plans the Lord has in store for you.
279. It's like you're standing before your King of all kings. You're alone with Him, and beside you stands your old man, your man of pride, your image, your old modus operandi, all of that, in the form of a separate person. And until you give the nod of okay that that old man can be taken out and put to death, the Lord can't share the deep secrets of His heart with you. Your old man would interfere. In fact, you wouldn't even understand what the Lord's trying to tell you, because your old man would be there to warp everything to try to make it fit into the way you've been viewing things.
280. So, Son, are you willing? Are you willing to kiss your old man goodbye? Are you willing to forsake your pride and let the Lord remake you? I know you want to serve the Lord or you wouldn't have stuck all these years. Remember what I said: You never forsake all once and for all--it's a continual process. Well, the cycle's come around again. This is a big one, Son.
281. Please know that Mama and Peter and I and the Lord appreciate how big this is going to be for you. We don't in any way take the death you're going to go through lightly, and believe me, we're praying desperately that you will yield and take it like a man, because we don't want to lose you!
282. If you want to keep going forward, if you want to be the man that the Lord wants and that I need you to be, there's no other way to the promised land but through this fire. It'll burn off the dross, the outer trappings, the beautiful image, the "strong general" figure. What'll be left will be just what the Lord and I need! You might feel naked and half dead, but it won't last forever. Remember the woman who repeated to herself, "It came to pass, it didn't come to stay," when she was hit with temptations and tests. (See Good Thots, pg.1579, #14.)
283. It comes to pass. It won't last forever. The promised land is in view, you just have to trust your Husband. He loves you more than anybody else ever could, and He's only asking this of you because He knows that deep down you want to keep growing, you want to keep serving Him in the most useful capacity possible. He's so pleased with you because of your love for Him, and believe me, He's going to be there through every moment, like He always is.
284. So remember the words of that song, "Just Say Yes!" Say it even if you don't feel it, because believe me, at first everything in you might be screaming out "no!" Just remind yourself that the Lord's never let you down. He's never taken anything away unless He gave you something better. He's never done anything for or to you unless it was for your own good, and this is no exception.
285. Remember, every branch that bears fruit, He purges it. If you were a dead branch, you'd simply be cast into the fire and burned, but you're not. You've got a lot of life in you yet and I'm counting on you! Mama's counting on you, Peter's counting on you, and the Lord is counting on you most of all.
286. It hurts to give you these words, Son. Oh how the Enemy loves to discourage and cause despair and weariness and heartache. Sweet Mama wishes this message could just be encouragement and comfort, because you've given a lot and you continue to, and that deserves great commendation. But there's a time for everything, dear son, and now is the time for this.
287. Believe you me, though, if Mama were there with you, she'd probably have you go into her bedroom and lie on the bed for several hours as she shared these words with you. Picture that as you read them, if you can. Best of all, the Lord is there, and your precious Heavenly Mother, the Holy Spirit, ready to comfort and caress and soothe you, ready to love you and restore your hope and your life.
288. It's gonna be a fight, but that doesn't mean you have to quit hearing from the Lord and getting your comfort from Him. You can't quit just because it's harder than usual, or just because you can't see His sweet face as clear as other times. He's there; He's promised that.
289. I'm gonna help you too, Son. I have a great interest in helping you to make it, because I don't want you to miss out on anything there on Earth that'll help you up Here! And believe me when I say that this is a key experience that'll prepare you, because it is.
290. You're not the only one, Son. But remember, you're a pillar in the house of God, and He's got to test and try you to make sure you won't crack under future strain. He knows the way through the wilderness, all you have to do is follow. Every single person is going to get down to the wire of rededication, leaving behind their old ways, the wrong attitudes they've hidden in the closet till now. You just happen to be one of the first ones in some ways.
291. I love you, Son. You're going to make it! I trust you, and so do the rest of us. I know you're going to take it like the seasoned soldier you are. You're a survivor, a shticker, and I know you have it in you. I know you can make it! I believe you can make it, Mama and Peter believe you can make it, and the Lord above all knows you can make it! That's why we're all trusting you with this opportunity to once again prove your love and your loyalty.
292. Here's your chance to prove once again that you value your Lord, your king, your queen, and your service above your own pride, above your own image, above your own treasured ways of doing things. Here's your chance to humble yourself before all so that the Lord may be lifted up, and His new ways and methods and weapons. Here's your chance to make things right if you've done them the wrong way. Here's your chance, your golden opportunity, to prepare for the days ahead in the best way the Lord knows you can.
293. I love you. I need you, Mama needs you, Peter needs you, the Lord needs you, your Family needs you, and we're counting on you to become all that we and the Lord need you to be. Love always, Dad. (End of message from Dad.)
294. {\b \i (Mama:)} God bless you, dear Steven, for being willing to share that very helpful message with the whole Family. Thanks for being a good sample of doing the humble thing!
To the Lord's Endtime Christian Army!
295. The next message in this GN is somewhat different, as it gives us more insight about the Endtime and the role we, the Family, will play. Also, it helps to clarify that the goal, the motivation for going forward and striving to be dedicated to the new day, is so that we'll be even more greatly used of the Lord in the End.
296. I hope this will help you to see that the changes the Lord is asking you to make, and the spiritual progress you're striving for, is part of your preparation for the Endtime. There is a purpose in it, an important purpose. There is a reason for the tests and sacrifices and preparation in spirit. Read on to learn more about what that reason is!
297. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }This next message is addressing both the Family and My other Christians who are also part of My Endtime army and with whom the Family will work and do exploits. I have given the Family special training so that they will be able to do great exploits in their work with My other Christian children of the Endtime.
298. The Family are the only ones to whom I have given My Endtime prophetess, Maria. That's because I have a calling and ministry for the Family in particular in the Endtime--that of being a ready mouthpiece to the nations, a warning, a city set on a hill that others may see clearly and follow. She leads the way and is teaching you to follow Me.
299. Those in the Family are rare in their use of prophecy, in their anointed prophetess, and in their David who has gone before to prepare the way. I will use this gift of prophecy to speak clearly to the nations, and many will hear. And many of My other Endtime Christian children will hear and will know what to do. I will use the Family to give much instruction and to help to show the way, to know how to fight the battle. They will play an important part in leading many to follow Me.
300. The Family are unique in their full application of My Law of Love and in loving Me intimately, and they must continue to prepare for the great battles ahead. They must continue to move with My Spirit so that I can use them mightily in the Endtime.
301. The battle of the Endtime days will be great and will take all of the forces of My Endtime Christian army to fight. The Family will bring with them their special anointing and gifts as My special, intimate Bride, the ones who have learned to hear My voice in prophecy continually, who have learned the blessings and strength of praise, who have learned to live My Law of Love. The Family's strengths and faith and dedication will open the door for miracles, for leading many to Me, for working with other Christians. Many will turn to the Family for counsel because they will see that they have a strong connection with Heaven.
302. Part of the work of the Endtime is to prepare now to be whatever I call upon you to be. Whether it's to work with other Christians, others of My Endtime army, or whether I give you a separate assignment, you still need to prepare in spirit now to be in tune with Me today, so that you'll know what My instructions are for tomorrow. (End of message from Jesus.)
303. {\b \i (Mama:)} Now you have the blessing of reading this very special message that the Lord was just talking about.
304.{\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} Blessed are you, the Family, for you hear the things that many nations and kings have longed for. They have longed to hear the Words of your Father David and of the King of kings. They hunger and thirst after the things that are only given to the children of David to share. Many Words do I give to those who love Me most, to those who have given up the pleasures of sin that they may be My loves.
305. I'm sorrowful that there are many that suffer because they do not have the Words of David or even the Words of the Bible. There are many that do weep and cry and long for My Words. Pray that My children everywhere may be spurred into action and that they may fulfill My will. Pray that other Christians will wake up and begin to hear from Me and begin to receive My Words, for there will never be enough channels to hold all that I wish to pour forth.
306. You, the children of David, are a special people, a breed like none other. For though you be mortal and encased in earthly form, your spirits do fly to the very courts of My Kingdom and dwell there with Me in spirit. I have formed you from the dust and I have given you a form like those on Earth that you might win others to Me, but your spirits are free. Your spirits are not bound by the body of flesh; they are free, unlike others on Earth who are not Heavenly minded and do not seek the things of the Spirit.
307. You have freedom in spirit and liberty, because of your closeness to Me. I have few other Christian children whose spirits seek Me intimately and who hear My voice in prophecy as regularly and with such faith as the children of David. You are unique! You have the fresh Words of Heaven.
308. I have no children like unto the children of David, no loves like those of the Family, for you are My special brides and you have a special place in My heart. But I have many other Endtime children of My greater Christian Church of the Latter Day, the final Ecclesia, the Omega of My children. The Family is part of the last generation that I will pour My Spirit upon in such abundance, for you are among those upon whom the ends of the Earth are come.
309. Therefore lift up your hearts with joy and let your spirits sing a new song, for you are among those upon whom all the prophecies of the ages are come! You are the fulfillment of thousands of years of preparation! There are none like you, My Endtime Christians, and neither will there ever be again upon this Earth.
310. This is the last and final witness to the dying world! The days are dark and time is drawing to an end. For I make of you, My Endtime Christians, the most powerful in spirit. I pour out to you more than I have ever poured out before--yes, even more than to My Early Church. I pour out to you, My Family, in such great abundance that there will never be a medium, a storage method, a publishing method to print all the Words I have given, and will yet give, for you have been faithful with My Words. Maria has been faithful with My Words, and she will speak among the people in the Endtime.
311. I will pour out upon you like you have never seen before, for you have learned to use the gift of prophecy and can receive it. Messages will rain down as the thunderous storms of rain! They will pour forth and flood the world before the flood of evil engulfs them. It will cover the world! It will rain down upon the children, upon the JETTs, the juniors and the seniors, the YAs, the adults, the older and the younger. Every one shall hear from Me, and great shall be the company of them that publish it.
312. Great shall be the noise that My Family children shall make in this Earth, and they will know that you have been with Me. They will know, without a doubt, that you are among My anointed ones, My special, chosen, called-out Ecclesia for these Last Days. You are My children of the End, the children of tomorrow, of another world that will yet praise My Name. You belong to the future, to the world in which My Kingdom reigns supreme over all the Earth. You are but on a time travel back to this time, that you may bring the Gospel of My peace to those who sit in darkness, that you may proclaim the light and liberty of My Kingdom, that you may set the captives free with My Words.
313. This is the End, My loves! This is the final show, the grand finale in which you, My greater army of Endtime Christians, are the centerpiece. You are the prize attraction, the showcase of My Kingdom. You are the center of this final play that will usher in the end of the show. Each one must be ready when it comes your turn to play the part I need you to play. The Family must be ready, because they play a special part, for I have given to My Family Endtime children a special anointing and role.
314. The Family has eagerly followed Me into the new day and has been willing to use the weapons of prophecy, of My Law of Love, and loving Me intimately, and I will be able to use My special brides in a great way in the Last Days. Just like a light show of My power lights up the sky, so will you light up the darkness with flashes of brilliance and unharnessable power! No man shall be able to withstand the power of My Spirit. Miracles will be performed, signs and wonders will be wrought at the hand of all of My children of the Endtime, and none shall stand against them!
315. Satan will tremble at the sight of so great an army of true believers that has been prepared by My hand. He will tremble and fear, and great will be the noise of the thousands of hooves galloping across the land bringing the light of My salvation and conquering all! Great will be the sound of that great and terrible day when the King will return to claim His Own! Great will be the shaking, the terror, and the thunder of that day! Even now the army is prepared against the day of battle. Even now do I prepare My forces to fight in that last day, that triumphant moment when I will return to rescue My reconnaissance team, My Endtime Christians, from throughout the world.
316. You are My scouts in the midst of Enemy territory, My fifth column who win the hearts and minds of those taken captive there to Me, their true Lord and Savior. You are My advance teams, for you prepare the way for My return, as do others of My children. And yes, you even inspect and reconnoiter to see where others of My troops are most needed, where people are the hungriest and long for Me and My Words of life. For I answer the cries of My children, but I am also moved by your prayers and calls on prayer, our two-way radio, to know where to pour in My spirit helpers and to know where to nudge those of My Family and even other Christians to minister. So in this way you perform reconnaissance for Me.
317. I'm coming back for you, so burn brilliantly! Light up the sky like a flame, and burst forth with power, light and love, that the whole world may see you and marvel at My power. Let your light so shine, for this is the last hour. The clock ticks out the last seconds and the End is nigh. Be prepared. (End of message from Jesus.)
318. {\b \i (Mama:)} What a marvelous calling! We are so blessed to be part of the Lord's special elite troops, His greater army of Endtime Christians, His centerpiece, His prize attraction, the showcase of His Kingdom! We have a special place, a special job to do, and the Lord wants us to be ready. He is making it as easy as possible for us by showing us where the dangers lie, what the pitfalls are and what we can do to grow stronger--by learning to be weaker in ourselves and stronger in the Lord!
319. It's a weakness revolution, dear ones! It's the day of the weak--those who know more than anything that they need the Lord, that they need His Word, that they cannot live without His instruction, His guidance, His help each day! With this weakness revolution the Lord wants us to learn to depend on Him and His voice and Word like never before, and to draw closer to Him than ever through praise and loving Him intimately as His Bride. He wants to supply all our needs and shower us with blessings as we show ourselves weak, dependent, and needy of His great strength, power and anointing. He wants to give us stronger unity than we've ever known before, as we become one in heart and spirit with our many mates of our greater marriage. It's all there for us. He's eager to give us all that we need and desire, but it's up to us to realize our own limitations and determine that we'll follow closer than ever before.
320. He's poured out to us abundantly, and has given us the tools for the job. It just remains for us to obey, to do all we can to not just read His Word but live it; not just get by with yesterday's formula or approach but actively reach out to what He has for us today; not be self-satisfied and complacent but to stir ourselves up, keeping the vision ever before us. We have a lot to do, dear Family. So let's go to it! Time is short, and the Lord needs each of you very much!
Practical Tips for Progress
321. After you have read these stirring messages I believe that you will be convicted to want to make progress, to change in your weak areas and become stronger in spirit. The Lord has probably spoken to you very specifically through some of these messages, opening your eyes to areas that you either need to improve in or get back on the attack in; or possibly there are areas in which you need to make initial steps of acceptance, believing and receiving.
322. In some cases, I believe you will feel somewhat frustrated, because it's possible that the Lord has highlighted areas that you have known you needed to improve in for quite some time. It can be difficult when you feel you're not making progress in your weak areas, that as much as you try, as many resolutions as you make, you still seem to fall back into your old habits, and progress comes so slowly. Pretty soon this lack of progress can become so frustrating and disappointing that you eventually lose faith that you can change. It seems impossible; you feel you're too old, too stubborn, too set in your ways, too unyielded to really become a new creature, and you're tempted to give up.
323. I was pretty sure many of you would be feeling this way and that the Enemy would be attacking you with thoughts of hopelessness. I didn't want you to miss the wonderful blessing of this New Year's challenge from the Lord by letting it slip through your fingers due to your lack of faith and attacking initiative and your feeling that you're just too far gone, too deeply entrenched in your old habits to actually turn over a new leaf and become the new creature that the Lord wants you to be for 1999.
324. So I asked the Lord if He could give some specific practical counsel on what we can all do to make more concrete progress in our lives. Following is His message, which again is proof that He's very interested in every aspect of our lives and ready at a moment's notice to give us what we need, even practical tips on efficiency, self-help, organization, fighting the Enemy, and being what He wants us to be.
325. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} You feel My Spirit of conviction strong in your life. Many of these words have cut you to the heart. I have felt your sensitivity to My Spirit. The vacuum you have created has made a way for Me to touch you, to move you, to inspire you to action. I know your desire to say yes, to nod in agreement. I see your desire to reach out and receive what I have for you.
326. You're no longer satisfied with the way things are. You want to break out of your routine; you want to shed the bad habits that have plagued you for so long; you want to see real progress in your life and you want others to see it as well. But you feel so tired, so frustrated. It seems you've tried many times, but your resolutions have been short-lived, or have not brought forth the fruit and concrete progress that you hoped. But I say, My precious one, do not give up and do not listen to the lies of the Enemy when he tells you that you're a hopeless case, that you've come as far as you can come, that you're a fool to hope for anything more.
327. Ah, My dear one, don't you see? The sky is the limit! I can do in you and through you what no man can do. I can take you and make you into the beautiful vessel of My design, and all I need is your heart, your cooperation, your willingness to put forth the effort to do what you can do and then let Me do the rest.
328. But now let's talk about what you can do. This is a battle, a war, and the victories do not come easy. They're not handed to you on a silver platter. You have to fight, but you can overcome your adversary. You can defeat the Enemy and free yourself from his clutches and liberate the territory that he has had control over in your life.
329. Now listen to your Commander in Chief as I explain some of the basics of battle, some of the simple tried and proven techniques of hand-to-hand combat. You're on the front lines, you've declared war, it's a fight to the finish. I have supplied state of the art weaponry, I have empowered you with strength from on High, you have been instructed, tested and you have proven yourself. Now your desire is to forge through the Enemy lines and to ensure your success and victory. I will give you a point by point battle plan that even the lowliest private can understand.
#1
330. When you read the Word and you feel the conviction of My Spirit, stop right then to think and pray and meditate on what that instruction means for you personally. Don't delay taking the time to apply it to your life, because if you delay, the conviction will wane, you will forget, and the Word you read will be of none effect in your life.
331. My Word never returns to Me void, but that does not mean that My children always put it into effect in their lives. Look at My children in the churches. They are perfect examples of how many can be hearers of the Word but not doers. You in the Family face the same dangers if you do not apply the Word in some way. After a time it withers, for it did not sink in deeply enough to take root, and it becomes of none effect.
332. When I am speaking to your heart, challenging you through My Word, that is the time to take action, to make commitments, and I mean something concrete. That's why I want you to stop when the conviction is hot--to think, meditate, consider how you can live the Word, and make a definite plan as to what you'll do. Don't wait. Don't lay down the GN and rush off, thinking you'll put the Word into concrete decisions, plans or action later. Later will probably be never!
#2
333. As you read the Word, study with all diligence, underlining the key phrases, marking the paragraphs that apply to you for easy review. If you don't want to or can't mark your Home library copies of the GNs, you can pull key paragraphs using the HomeARC, or you can write down the important points and make notes in a personal Word notebook.
#3
334. When you know there is an area in your life that you are lacking in or not following closely in--when you're convicted while reading the Word that you have slipped in an area, or you are no longer using one of the new weapons regularly, or you have let doubt enter your heart in some way--stop and ask Me about it. Hear from Me personally on that subject.
335. If you don't have time to do it right then, write it down in a notebook where you keep a list of the personal questions, problems and situations that you want to ask Me about. If you don't take time to hear from Me about it, you will not make the progress you desire.
#4
336. Putting it into words, and especially telling someone else, helps you to follow through. When you need to change in an area and you feel convicted to improve in some way, whether it be in your personal sample, your spiritual walk with Me, your outreach, the use of your time, your interactions with others, or whatever the case may be--if you share that desire and need to change with someone else, it will help to strengthen your conviction.
#5
337. Have united prayer. Ask for the support of your loved ones. Such time of prayer does not need to be complicated or a big razzmatazz that needs a lot of preparation and explanation. You can simply explain that you need an extra boost of prayer power, you need My help and everyone's prayers to help overcome your problem in such and such an area.
#6
338. When you're trying to develop a habit or improve in an area, it helps to actually schedule some time each day or each week for that particular activity. Without a schedule and without some specific time allotted, you will not make the progress you desire because you will get caught up with so much that there is to do, with other emergencies or even distractions. It will be a case of a little here and a little there, and the time will pass and your new habit will not be formed.
#7
339. Don't set unrealistic goals. That's one thing that keeps people from making progress. Oftentimes when someone is under conviction and they feel the desire to change, they set a standard for themselves that is too high, that is unreachable, and then when they fail they get discouraged. Then, instead of cutting back and making the standard more realistic, they just quit altogether.
340. A little progress is better than no progress. So take care to make your goals reachable, knowing that with time you can always reconsider and adjust your goal according to what you have learned you can handle and what your time, schedule and other responsibilities allow.
#8
341. If you're working on progressing in an area and you do well for a while, but then slip back into your old habits, don't give up altogether. Don't give in to despair and say, "Oh well, I guess it's too much for me. I can't change, that's just the way I am." Instead, make a conscious decision right then and there that you're going to go on the attack. Review the commitments you previously made, reconsider the time that you had scheduled for that particular activity to see if it is realistic. If it is, then determine in your heart that you will do your best to follow through. If it is not, then make whatever change is needed. But don't quit!
#9
342. It is often helpful to work together with someone else so you can spur each other on to Godly jealousy. You can determine together with your friend, co-worker, teamworker or mate how you would like to improve; make some commitments together and then help each other to fulfill those commitments. One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight.
#10
343. If you make known the areas that you're trying to improve in, you can ask others to check you when they see that you're falling back into old ruts or not following through on the new habits you're working to develop. But if you expect others to check you, then you can't be sensitive. You have to truly desire their reminders and their gentle prodding with all of your heart, knowing that first, they're doing it because you asked them to, and second, they're doing it out of love because they want to see you happy and progressing in your personal life and walk with Me.
#11
344. Realize that you can't work on every weakness and every NWO at the same time. Don't try to spread yourself too thin or take on too much. Better to do a few things well than to try to do everything at once and then no progress is made. To know what area you should work on and when, ask Me. I will show you what the greatest need is and what you should direct your attention toward.
#12
345. Keeping lists, charts, journals or logs helps you to see your progress. Nothing succeeds like success, and when you see you have been faithful for a few days or a few weeks, it helps you to build momentum and keep up the initiative.
#13
346. Consistency is the key! It takes six weeks to two months to build a new habit.
#14
347. If there is something that you are particularly weak in as a Home, whether it be the implementation of one of the new weapons, or some aspect of your outreach, follow-up or care of the children, etc., you can pray about it together and set goals as a Home.
#15
348. Sometimes progress comes slowly. It's a day by day, step by step process. If you find that your development of new habits is a case of two steps forward, one step back, don't be discouraged.
#16
349. Determine what your priorities are, what are the most important things you want to spend your time on. Put those first, and trust Me for the things of lesser priority that you may not get to as frequently or as faithfully as you did before. Put the most important things first and trust Me for the rest.
#17
350. If you find that you just "don't have time" for the important things that you're trying to make more of a habit in your life, such as more time for reading the Word, hearing from Me in personal prophecy, sharing My love intimately with your mate or others, or having personal time with your children, then keep a detailed hourly record of what you do with your time each day. That's the most efficient way of seeing how time is being wasted or spent on activities of lesser importance.
#18
351. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, get rid of it. Either pour out your heart to Me in private, or if necessary, confess your faults and sins to your mate, teamwork or shepherds, whichever is appropriate.
352. Unconfessed sin is like a concrete wall that blocks the flow of the water of My Word and hinders your faith in My ability to answer your prayers, supply your needs and do miracles for you. Unconfessed sin makes you feel unworthy of My blessing, therefore it saps your initiative and greatly hinders your progress.
#19
353. You may need to sacrifice some of your free-time activities, especially those that are not rich in the spirit or fellowship, until you have strengthened your good habits of reading the Word, exercising the new weapons, living the Law of Love and the One Wife vision, being a faithful witness, and teaching and training your children.
#20
354. Don't listen to or believe the lies of the Enemy when he tells you, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." It's so easy to think that if you've had a bad habit for a very long time it's impossible to overcome it--that it's just the way you are--but this isn't true. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. The more you are in Me, the newer you will become. Commit those old habits to Me and I can turn even a lazy old dog into a vibrant, excited, ready-to-learn little puppy.
#21
355. Don't compare yourself with others. Comparing leads to discouragement; comparing leads to looking at all your lacks instead of the progress you have made. Don't worry about what others are doing or how they're doing or how much they're doing; you just take your cues from Me, get your instructions from Me. Follow through on what I show you to do and I will bless you and prosper you and make you happy.
#22
356. Guard against becoming self-righteous, judgmental or demanding of others. You may be very inspired about your new program and the progress I'm helping you to make, but don't cram it down others' throats, for that will only cause them to resist and resent you. Even though what you're trying to do is good and you do it out of pure motives, you must realize that I work in each person's life differently. While you may be working to improve in one area of your life, someone else may be working on something completely different, and you both can be within My perfect will. So lead by example. Testify of what I am doing in your life, but guard against being critical of others or thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to.
#23
357. Be fully persuaded in your own mind about the need to make a particular change in your life. This persuasion, this faith and determination comes from My Word. Get the vision from the Word and remind yourself of it continually. If you find you are lacking inspiration or starting to lag, review the Word that gave you the original impetus. Refresh your vision, clarify the goal; renew the reason, the motivation in your mind for why you're working so hard to develop a particular habit or exercise a particular weapon of the new day, and you will be renewed.
#24
358. If you slip in the goals you've set and have a bad day or a bad week, don't condemn yourself. Don't quit just because you blew it. Realize that there will be some times when you'll do better than other times. Realize that there will be times when you'll get lazy or get bummed out, and it'll cause you to slip backwards a little, but that's no cause to give up.
359. That's where most people fail. They do well for a while, but the first time they slip and fall back into their old habits and lose progress, instead of picking up once again and continuing the forward movement right away, they quit altogether. That's the most fragile time, when you have your first relapse, because that's when it's easiest to lose faith and to get disgusted with yourself. But if you can make it over that first hurdle, if you can regard that first show of weakness in your resolve as a mere setback instead of a confirmation that it's impossible to change, then you will be well on your way to victory and developing good, strong, deeply ingrained new habits.
#25
360. Take time regularly to reevaluate your walk with Me, to take a critical look at your schedule, the use of your time, how faithful you've been with the new weapons, and ask yourself and Me how you could stand to improve. I will lead you differently at different times depending on the need, the circumstances, or the obstacles you face, so don't get in a rut. Something may work well for a while, but if you find you're losing inspiration or getting bored, come back to Me and hear from Me in prophecy, for I may want to show you a new program or plan or some kind of change.
#26
361. Claim a specific promise for the change that you wish to make. One specific promise claimed in faith is more effective than claiming a hundred promises generally.
#27
362. If you have the humility and can take it, ask someone you're close to--your mate, a lover, a friend, your teamworker, your shepherd--to check you about how you can improve in your use of the new weapons for the new day. Rarely do you see yourself as others see you, therefore an honest outside opinion can be very helpful. But if that's going to work, you have to prove that you appreciate those outside opinions even if they hurt. Be gracious when someone tries to point something out to you. Receive it by faith. Be thankful.
#28
363. Pray each day that you'll make progress in the areas that you're making a push on. Ask Me specifically for the strength, determination, humility and faith to keep working on it day by day. One prayer of commitment is not enough; you'll need to seek Me for strength and the willingness to keep going on a day-by-day basis.
#29
364. Procrastination is one of the greatest obstacles to progress. When I give you a check to do something and you put it off, there's almost a one hundred percent chance that whatever it was I wanted you to do will not get done in My time. There is much that gets done, though delayed, but some of the blessing and the effectiveness is lost due to the procrastination.
365. "Do it now" should be your new motto. If there's a legitimate reason why you can't do it now, then at least write it down and promise yourself and Me that you'll do everything in your power to do it as soon as possible.
366. Remember that I am speaking here mainly of those things which I check you about that have to do with your relationship with Me and keeping your heart right with Me. I understand that sometimes there is much to do, and work priorities must be rescheduled, and there are some things you will not get to right away. But these little things of the spirit that I ask of you cannot be put off! When I ask you to do the humble thing, to go back and apologize to someone, to raise your hands in praise to Me, to pray out loud for My blessing or protection, to come before Me right then to ask My counsel, to stand up for your convictions and not compromise--these are things that I expect you to do then. If you don't do them then, yes, you can still do them later, but the moment is lost, and with it some of My blessings are lost.
#30
367. Realize that you will never be perfect, but that I don't expect perfection. I only expect that you lean on Me, yield to Me, and let Me be in you and through you what I want to be.
#31
368. It is true that, as David taught you, some besetting sins you will need to fight your whole life, for that is part of the humbling process. But on the other hand, you must realize that it is never My will that your besetting sins hurt others, or hurt and delay My work. So there is a balance that must be found between accepting a besetting sin that I have given you to humble you, and fighting to overcome it in order to be what I want you to be. Seek Me and hear My voice of personal instruction and I will show you this balance. I will clarify the answer to this question in your mind.
#32
369. The new weapons have been introduced over a period of time. Some people have been practicing faithfully with the new weapons and now feel very comfortable with them; they have progressed at a slow, steady rate. If you have resisted the use of any of the new weapons, whether it be praise, or hearing My voice in prophecy, or loving Me intimately as My bride, then now you may feel condemned, like you are very far behind in spirit and you will never catch up. This feeling that others are so far ahead of you is one of the things that causes you to hold back, because you feel embarrassed, you feel like you're taking little baby steps while everybody around you is taking great big giant steps. You don't want people to see that you're just starting out and so you hide it, which continues to impede your progress.
370. Now is the time to embrace the new weapons. If that means taking baby steps, then take those baby steps with great joy. Do not feel embarrassed, for those around you do not condemn you or look at you critically, but instead they're happy for you and proud of you for the progress you're making. It's not too late. Though difficult, it is not impossible; though humbling, the blessing is still there for you.
371. I love you, My precious bride, and find great pleasure in your desire to please Me. I will never give you more than you are able to bear. I will not ask something of you that is too difficult. No matter how dark the night, how fierce the storm, how deep the waters, there is victory for those who fight and do not give up. Each step forward, each new habit developed, each gesture of greater intimacy with Me brings greater power in My Spirit, as I will make each one of you, My precious brides, into the strong fighters and adaptable tools and shining examples that you are destined to be. (End of message from Jesus.)
372. {\b \i (Mama:) }The Lord has given Words that work. He has sounded the trumpet and put forth the challenge. I believe these Words will move you to desire change, to take up the torch and run the race that is set before you.
373. I know it's very difficult to overcome bad habits. It is very difficult to be persistent, consistent, and to make solid change, but it's not impossible. If you have a plan, a goal, some kind of program, it's easier to make steady progress step by step, day by day. Then when you see the progress you're encouraged to keep going, to keep moving forward. A little progress gives you faith for more. It's the standing still, the treading water, the being caught in quicksand that is so frustrating, that makes you want to throw up your hands in despair and disgust, that makes you feel like you're a hopeless case.
374. But never forget, Jesus is the God of the impossible. He delights in taking hopeless cases and turning them into miracles of His Spirit. He wants us all to make concrete progress when we read these Words. These messages aren't just designed to be a momentary inspiration or to tickle our ears with information and a poetic, dramatic presentation. These Words are to work wonders, to bring forth progress and change. They are to work miracles.
375. I hope this list of practical tips gives you faith for the future and faith that you can make it. I know you can! The Lord has promised that regardless of the circumstances or your past record or how many times you've tried before to have a new beginning, today it can be different! All things are possible to him that believes. Jesus can do it and He wants to, if you will just let Him by giving yourself totally to Him. He'll breathe a new spirit of hope and life and courage into you and you will become an overcomer, a victor, a winner--not because of any greatness of your own, but simply because of your childlike faith, your willingness to accept, believe, receive, and say yes to Jesus, our wonderful Husband and Lover.
You can make it! We're counting on you!
Much love, Mama
376. P.S. Please don't forget to take some time with the Lord to have private prayer and meditation. If you give Him the opportunity to speak to you personally in prophecy, it will be well worth the effort, as I am confident that He will not only instruct you, but also encourage you that you can make it! Praise the Lord!
