Maria #360DO 308711/96

—A Sample Brief Verbal Explanation for Non-Family Members—By Maria

Dear Family,

1. I love you! It's been very inspiring and encouraging to hear from many of you of the wonderful difference that the "Loving Jesus" revelation has made in your lives, as you've put it into practice! Many of you have testified in your letters to Peter and me that as you stepped out by faith in the Lord's Words, He has rewarded you with the love, peace and closer relationship with Him that you had been seeking. Praise the Lord!

2. By now you should have received the "Loving Jesus Revelation," a GP publication which explains the "Loving Jesus" revelation to the public. Though designated GP, this publication is not meant for widespread distribution, but is a tool for you to give to those who may inquire about the "Loving Jesus" revelation, or who may have heard or will hear about it through the press or other sources.

3. Apparently several news reporters have gotten ahold of copies of some of the "Loving Jesus" GNs, and news of the revelation will probably surface in the media at some time or another. This is nothing to be afraid of, though‚ because as the "Loving Jesus Revelation" pub brings out, we have nothing to be ashamed of, nor any reason to hide the wonderful blessing and privilege that the Lord has given us of being able to love Him in this way!

4. As the "Loving Jesus" revelation becomes more known outside the Family, it's possible that at times you will be faced with questions about this "new doctrine," or be asked to explain it, particularly those of you who are in contact with the media, academics, etc. The "Loving Jesus Revelation" statement provides an excellent and thorough explanation of "Loving Jesus," so that should be a real help to you! Before giving someone that publication‚ though, you may need or want to explain in brief about the revelation yourself, in your own words. While people will be happy to receive the statement, they may also want to hear a brief summary from you as to what it's all about.

5. With that in mind, we thought you might appreciate a sample response you could give in such a situation. The following is a brief explanation of the "Loving Jesus" revelation which you might find helpful. Of course you don't have to memorize this script or necessarily use these exact words, but it's an idea of how to address this particular issue. This is written as if in response to a reporter or academic asking, "What is the 'Loving Jesus' revelation?" I pray that it will be a help and blessing to you. God bless and keep you as you wisely stand up for the truth!

Sample of brief verbal explanation to outsiders of the "Loving Jesus" revelation:

6. I have a statement which goes into detail on this topic and will provide you with a full explanation. But in brief‚ the main purpose of the "Loving Jesus" revelation is to provide a means whereby adult Family members can develop a closer and more personal relationship with Jesus. The desire to have a closer walk with the Lord is nothing new or unique to the Family, but is the goal of sincere and dedicated Christians worldwide.

7. Eager to find new ways to pray, praise and worship the Lord, in early 1995, Maria‚ the spiritual head of the Family, prayed and asked the Lord to show her how she, as well as the Family, could draw closer to Him and have a deeper personal relationship with Him. The "Loving Jesus" revelation, given through direct prophecy, was the Lord's specific answer to Maria's prayers. It was published for the Family in February 1996 in a series of internal publications (GNs) called the "Loving Jesus" series.

8. The Bible repeatedly refers to the Church —that is, all Christians both collectively and individually—as the Bride or Wife of Christ. This is a belief held not only by the Family, but also by many Christians worldwide. The essence of the "Loving Jesus" revelation is that as individuals, we can develop this relationship in a more personal and intimate way.

9. The Lord explained to Maria through prophecy that we could look at our individual relationship with Him as that of a wife with her husband. Therefore, we could even express our love and need for Jesus during our personal times of prayer, praise and worship by using very personal and intimate words of love and affection‚ such as a wife would use with her husband. Those who so desire could even take this a step further, by verbalizing their love for the Lord in this way while engaging in sexual activity, either alone or with their partner, and thus become even more intimate and passionate with Jesus by means of sexual expression.

10. One of the Family's basic beliefs is that natural‚ normal sex is God-ordained and a beautiful part of His creation. It is also one of the most wonderful ways of demonstrating one's love for another. So as the Bride and Wife of Christ, why should we not express our love for our Husband and Lover in this most intimate and meaningful way?

11. Let me make it very clear here that this practice is for adult Family members, and it is not meant for children. It is to be practiced in private only. Whether or not to engage in loving Jesus in this fashion, and to what degree, is the personal decision of each adult Family member‚ according to their faith and convictions. This is not a requirement for membership, and no one is under any pressure or obligation to do so. It is simply encouraged as a means of obtaining a deeper, private, personal relationship with Jesus, whereby we can feel free to say such words of love to Him as His Bride, just as a wife would say to her husband, and express our love for Him in an intimate and even sexual fashion. Since finding a loving, intimate relationship with another human being is one of the ultimate joys in life, how much more should we want to find a loving, intimate relationship with our Creator? But each individual's relationship with the Lord‚ and the degree of intimacy that they choose to exercise and express is up to them and according to their own faith.

12. The "Loving Jesus Revelation" publication will hopefully answer any further questions that you may have about the details of this revelation. But one that I would like to address here, which you may have thought of already, is the question of how male members can adopt the role of the Wife of Christ. Would this be a male-male relationship, or is this revelation restricted to women only? The answer to both of these questions is no.

13. The Lord explained to Maria that in the realm of the Spirit, when it comes to our relationship with Him, He regards us all as the Bride or Wife, whether we are male or female. This is because He wants us to manifest the attributes of a woman in our relationship with Him—that of being a wife who is attentive and yielded to her husband's wishes and freely expresses her love for him, while resting securely in his care and love. So in our times of intimacy with the Lord, we each, male or female, play the role of His wife, and at those times He looks upon us as such.

14. In short, loving Jesus intimately in this manner is simply one facet of our spiritual relationship with the Lord. We look at it as a form of very intimate personal prayer and communion with Him, during which we can feel free to express our love and devotion to Him, and likewise receive His unending love for each of us.