KEYWORDS: time, days, family, feast, year, children

Latest News Flashes!--No.278

Maria, Peter

Timely Notice to All Homes from Mama and Peter

Maria #501 CM/FM 3256 7/99

Feast 2000 and Y2K!

Dear Family,

1. God bless each and every one of you! Peter and I love you and thank the Lord for you daily! The purpose of this timely notice is to share some very exciting news with you regarding our Y2K preparation and the Family Feast 2000!

2. As we have continued to pray and seek the Lord about the Y2K bug and how this might affect the Family overall, the Lord has given us further details on how we might best prepare for this time. God willing‚ you'll be receiving this wonderful counsel with this mailing in GN 855, "Y2K Preparation!"

3. Our Husband has repeatedly told us that we are not to worry about the Y2K crisis‚ that this will be a time when He will help the Family get His message out! Isn't that wonderful? He did say, however, that though we shouldn't worry, we are to prepare. One of the things which the Lord indicated might be disrupted during the Y2K crisis is the postal system, which may not be fully operational in some countries during the month of January and possibly even into February. Taking this into account, the Lord has given us some specific instruction on how we can keep the Word flowing to you during this time period, in case the mail is delayed in your country.

4. The basic plan is this: We hope to send you the GNs for the months of January and February in advance. This will mean that your NPCs will hopefully mail to the Homes (by mid-November at the latest) advance mailings for these months. These GNs will be in separate envel­opes, and will be labeled for either January or February. You should hold these mailings until the appropriate times, and only open and read them during January or February. You might also be receiving your December GNs early, because when preparing our mailing schedule we took into account not only the usual Christmas and end-of-the-year mail jam, but the fact that there could well be an additional overload on the postal system as other people make their final Y2K preparations.

5. It is our hope and prayer that with this plan, should the mail be disrupted in your country during the beginning months of the year 2000, you will still have a steady stream of fresh Word in your hands to read. In order to get these mailings to you in time, it will require a tre­mendous amount of work for those in WS and in the NPCs and LIMs, so please keep us and all those who faithfully work on these pubs and their preparation in your prayers! Thank you!

6. You will not‚ for the most part‚ be receiving advance copies of any pubs other than the GNs.

7. Another question that came up while praying about our Y2K preparation is if we should con­sider moving the dates of our Family Feast. We had thought it might be good to possibly move the Feast up to January, when you might already be taking some days off from your Christmas outreach push and when, due to the Y2K crisis, things might be moving at a slower pace. Another idea was to possibly postpone the Feast until March or April, since the worst repercussions of the Y2K problem will hopefully be over by then and things will be back to normal. To our surprise, when we brought these questions before the Lord He had another plan in mind—something altogether different than what we had thought of! Following are excerpts of the counsel He gave:

8. (Jesus speaking:) This crisis and its re­per­cussions will hit in varying degrees around the globe. There is no timing for the Feast that will accommodate everyone's needs perfectly, so you must see this as a give-and–take situation. However‚ I have a plan, a purpose‚ one greater than you can see at the moment, one that you have not considered, yet one that will bear much fruit. I will lead you to the best overall solution.

9. I would not have you postpone the Feast to a later date, for the Feast messages I pour out to My children are expedient and I wish for them to read them at the beginning of the new year, at the onset of the new century. For these Words and the things I will do during this Feast time will give them the strength, vision and courage that they will need for their witnessing during the days of the Y2K confusion.

10. I lead you not to postpone the Feast time, for I wish to impress upon My children the sober­ness of this era that you are now entering —for indeed you enter sober times. This new century is highly significant, a milestone in the history of mankind. As the world makes hoopla over the turn of the century‚ I would that My children also stop and acknowledge and usher in the new era, although in a different manner. I call you to watch and pray, to enter into this new year unitedly and in prayer and vigil. As you come together as one body, I will do great and mighty things on your behalf.

11. This year I will give you a new plan. I ask you to consider having the Feast days at the end of December, on the 29th, 30th and 31st. This will be after the Christmas push, when the bulk of the witnessing is over. I know My children are tired at this time, having worked hard during the month of December, so what better way to regain strength than to stop and rest in My arms, to pray and tank up by having this time to pray and be refreshed in this way?

12. This year I will do a new thing. In view of world conditions and the Y2K crisis, I offer this re­adjustment in the tradition of your Family Feast: Divide the normal Feast days, having three days of quiet prayer and vigil to usher in the new century, and then reserving the party and festive time to celebrate the Family birthday on its normal day on February 18th. By postponing the party day you will eliminate a significant part of the work, planning and prep that is usually required during the Feast days, for the Homes will not have to plan all that goes into the big party‚ the activities, the food and treats‚ etc.

13. Other points in favor of this plan are as follows:

14. m I wish for My children to usher in the new year unitedly and in prayer. For as My Family unites around the world, great strength will be found, and I will pour out great blessing‚ for I have great things in store.

15. m These three days will serve as a time of rest and recuperation from the busy months of Christmas witnessing. This will be a time of rest in My Word and in communion with Me—a time of spiritual rest and refreshing‚ unlike your normal times of physical rest and rec­reation ­after the Christmas push. I know this will be difficult for some of you, My children, and I sympathize. I promise to make it up to you and bless your sacrifice in giving these days to Me, and reward you with even more inspiring times of rest and recreation in the future.

16. m This will be a time when I will ­unveil great things to My Family. I have much to pour out for Feast 2000. This Feast time will sur­pass all others, and I ask you not to delay it till later.

17. m I will call upon My children to witness and minister to the masses during the Y2K crisis, for this is your Endtime calling, to witness My Words to the nations. Though January and February will be a slow time for fund­raising‚ they will not be a slow time for ministering My Words to the needy, the lost and forlorn. Thus having these three days just prior to the outbreak of the Y2K crisis will free My Family to be able to minister to the needy during the months of January and February. And you may return to your ministry to others on January 1, or as soon as you feel it expedient, after your time spent in communion with Me.

18. This time spent in prayer and preparation before the new year begins will be a needed incentive and boost and vision–builder for My Family in their ministering to the masses. This will also be a faith-building time and provide needed strength in spirit.

19. m I know that Christmas is often a time to visit relatives for many of My children. And some may have planned to visit over the New Year's period, but this year it is better for those who must visit relatives to plan to do so earlier in the season, for I would that My children join with their spiritual Family at this time to watch and pray and usher in the new year in the unity of the Spirit with their brethren. It will not be a good time to be traveling‚ in any case, when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st.

20. This is a new plan, one that you are not accustomed to, but I have many purposes in this, and all will work to the good of My children. I wish for My Family to usher in this new year in this way, in prayer and in supplication to Me for the great days ahead. I have much in store for these days of rest and prayer and hearkening to My voice. These will be very special days, an extra­ordinary time. They will be days of great significance, a time of special feeding, strengthen­ing and pouring out. These Feast days on the eve of the new year will be days of golden opportunity for all My Family; they will be days that none will want to miss. They will be days that will never be forgotten by My children, and the reper­cussions thereof will be felt round the world. Let it happen on the eve of the new year‚ for this is the time appointed. Trust and obey, and you will see all things will work together for your good. (End of message from Jesus.)

21. (Mama:) Thank You, precious Husband‚ for Your wisdom and plan, and for giving us so much to look forward to!

22. While this is exciting news, Peter and I also realize that these dates will be inconvenient for some of you, especially if it means you have to decline other engagements to set these days aside for the Family Feast. We were particularly concerned about non-Christian countries, where the new year is more of a holiday than Christmas, as well as Catholic nations where prime witnessing opportunities continue to come up into the month of January and it may seem inconvenient to stop for three days at the end of December. With this in mind, we went back to the Lord for further confirmation and to see if He had any more direction on this. Here is what He had to say:

23. (Jesus speaking:) I confirm these dates I have given‚ for I would have you usher in this new year and the new century in prayer and vigil and supplication unto Me. I wish for My children to be united and passing this time in prayer and vigil unto Me.

24. This time to stop and pray, to hearken unto Me and receive My blessing at the dawning of the year 2000, will far outweigh any outreach or ministering My children would other­wise be engaged in‚ for this time will help prepare them for the mighty witnessing they will do in the months ahead.

25. I know that for some it will require a step of faith to stop at this time, but as they take this step of faith, I will greatly reward their obedi­ence, and great will be the fruit thereof.

26. You can liken this to the saying "penny-wise and pound-foolish," for though it would bear fruit for some to fulfill certain engagements, to do a show or performance, the far greater benefit and fruit to My children in view of the time, in view of Y2K, in view of the ushering in of this new century‚ will be to follow this new plan I give now. This will bear the greater fruit. This time spent sharpening the sickle will not be time wasted.

27. So I ask My children to walk in trust and faith, believing that I will prosper these days of prayer and vigil on all fields, and as they do so, great will be their reward for keeping this time. As My Family stops to take this time with Me, I will prosper all the witnessing they are able to do, both before these Feast days and after.

28. No timing for these Feast days would seem to perfectly accommodate everybody's needs, yet I have given you the best solution as to when to have these days of rest and com­munion with Me. This is My solution. Though it will not seem clear to all at first, I ask you to trust Me, for I will cause it to bear fruit for all. My ways are not your ways‚ and My thoughts are high above the thoughts of man.

29. I ask you to remember that because of the Y2K threat, the whole world will be functioning in a slightly different mode as they usher in the new year. In some cases, this will alter some of the typical witnessing My Family would traditionally carry out at this time of year.

30. Some countries and sectors of society will take more precautions than others‚ but all around the world people will be tolerant of those who say they are preparing for the Y2K bug. It will not be altogether strange, and those who are talking about Y2K prep will not stand out too much as odd or peculiar.

31. If the need arises for My Family to decline an engagement on the 29th, 30th and 31st‚ they can use this as an opportunity to witness to the fact that they will be spending this time in preparation for whatever the new year may hold. In fact, whenever possible, the Family should make this a witness by explaining to people that they are using this time to not only prepare for the Y2K crisis but also to spend time in retreat and prayer for the new year and the new century ahead.

32. The Family should take advantage of every opportunity to testify of their faith and that they will be taking a time of spiritual retreat. This will not seem altogether unusual to many in the world, especially to Christians and those of other religions such as the Muslims and Jews, who have an understanding of deep faith. It will be a testimony and witness to your belief in Me and in the power and importance of prayer if you are upfront and testify to the fact that you are going to spend the time in study‚ quiet meditation and prayer for the new year and century that is dawning.

33. As the year 2000 dawns, many around the world are seeking something spiritual. Though many lack in true understanding of all that is going on, they can in part relate to, or at least respect, those who will stop to dedicate their time and effort to prayer and meditation in spiritual retreat.

34. You might want to take this opportunity to testify that you will not only spend time praying for personal matters and situations, but that you will be praying for the world. There are many people and many situations around the world that are in need of desperate prayer, and this will be something that almost everyone can respect. Therefore, should My children have to decline an engagement, let them turn it into a testimony for My Name's sake.

35. Should an extraordinary occasion arise for witnessing or ministering to outsiders during the designated three days I have set aside, My children may bring their petitions before Me. Let them seek counsel with their shepherds and seek My guidance‚ and I will consider the rare exception. But I say, very very rare should be the exceptions‚ for My children will not want to miss these Feast days and all I have in store, for I have great and magnificent things to bestow upon My Family.

36. If My children will pray that the 29th through the 31st will stay free so that they can join in these days of prayer, I am able to keep them free. And I am able to open other doors on other days, fruitful doors, so that all their needs will be supplied. I am not limited, and as you pray and ask Me to do miracles‚ I will do them. I will open the doors on the right days that will bear much fruit.

37. I will cause all things to work together for the good of My children everywhere, that they may be blessed and prosper. As you put your trust in Me, I will go before you and this time will be fruitful and prosperous for all. Whether My children are in the East or the West‚ My sun will shine upon all My Family, and they will walk in My truth and receive My blessing and anointing, that they in turn might shine as brilliant lights before all the world. The people of the earth will see and marvel, and they will know that you have walked with Me.

38. Trust, My children, that I go before you and prepare the way, and though My ways are not your ways‚ all these things will work together for your good. (End of message from Jesus)

39. (Mama:) Thanks to our wonderful adoring Hus­band, we can look forward to some thrilling times ahead! Isn't it comforting to know that He will work out every little detail as we follow His plan? The Lord has great things in store for us all as we usher in the new century!

40. In view of the above instruction from the Lord, Peter and I officially set the dates for our Family Feast 2000 on December 29th, 30th and 31st, and reserve February 18th for our Family Birthday party. The purpose of sharing this news with you now is so that you can make your plans accordingly.

41. We'll be keeping you in our prayers as you plan your witnessing engagements, shows, any travel plans, visiting relatives, etc., to ac­com­­mo­date these dates. If there is an exceptionally import­ant opportunity that comes up on these days‚ please seek the Lord diligently and make very sure it's His will. If He indicates that it's so very important that you must seize the golden opportunity, then please try to counsel with your VSs or CROs if you have time, so they can also seek the Lord for a confirmation before you follow through on any appointments on these special days. If you can't get ahold of your CROs ahead of time to counsel with them but the Lord has indicated this opportunity is His will, then you may proceed. In that case, please send the messages the Lord gave you to your CROs so they're aware of the situation as well. Thanks!

42. In the months ahead, as the time for our Feast nears‚ we will be sharing more details with you about the program for these days. Until then, we look forward to this time with great anticipation, when we can join our hearts in the unity of His Spirit, in prayer and looking to our loving Husband, as we usher in the year 2000. We love you!

Much love and prayers,

Mama and Peter