Karen Zerby
Keys to Victory series
How to have more love and unity!—By Maria
Maria #496 CM/FM 3251 6/99
Dearest Family,
1. I love you! As you read in Grapevine 65 about Peter's trip to South America, the Lord poured out an abundance of commendation and counsel for our precious Family there which we put together in special GNs just for them. Some of that counsel was particular to their situation and circumstances, and some of it was more generally applicable to all of us. I'd like to share some of the more general instruction in this "Keys to Victory" GN, and I pray that you all can apply it and benefit from it personally.
2. I hope it's all right with you‚ dear Family in South America, if we share some of the blessing of this wonderful instruction. If anything, it should encourage you that we all need to work on these areas. We're all striving for the same goal, and the Lord is asking us all to continue to make these steps of progress and keep moving forward for Him! Praise the Lord! We've edited out the more specific counsel pertaining to your field, so if you want to read over the full counsel that was given for you‚ please go back to the original GNs‚ "To My Latin Loves," parts 1 and 2.
3. We hope to publish a GN of the Lord's encouragement and commendation to all you faithful missionaries--also excerpts taken from the beautiful Words that He poured out to our Family in South America. He's so proud of all of you who lay down your lives to feed His sheep!
4. In this GN I'd like to share with you some of what the Lord gave along the lines of love, unity, and the root of what causes disunity—pride. Please really pray and ask the Lord to help you apply these messages personally. While they were originally given for a specific field, when we prayed and asked the Lord about sharing them with you, He made it very clear that it's something every area needs to work on and strive for. As this first message says, it's the most important goal of life!
5. Lord, help us all to take this to heart‚ to apply it to ourselves personally, and to let Your Words change us! We don't want to walk away from this reading unchanged‚ or worse yet, pointing the finger at someone else. We want to be open to hearing Your Words speak to us about our own hearts and lives and attitudes, and to learn how to be more loving, more humble, more in unity with You and our precious Family, in Jesus' name!
Let Love Be Your Goal!
6. (Jesus speaking:) What is the greatest goal in life? What goal have I given you to strive for? It's a twofold goal, but it has the same root of success to it—love. Thou shalt love Me with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. This is the greatest goal, for it encompasses all things.
7. Love will redeem lost souls‚ repair any breaches, solve any problems, mend any heartaches, even heal broken bodies and bring about My plan for you. So if there's any one goal that is most important, it is love—love among the brethren, love for the lost‚ love for Me. This four-letter word embodies all that I am and that I wish you to be. So come before Me and ask Me to help you to love more in every way.
8. A greater increase in love will increase the witness you give‚ and the fruit of your witness. It will increase your supply, the finances that come in. It will increase your unity, which strengthens you, your Home, your children‚ your prayer power.
9. Love is all things and can do all things! It's the greatest power in the universe—not just on Earth, but also in the Heavenlies. My love is the only thing that will give you what you need to do the job ahead of you—to reach the lost.
10. In order to reach the lost‚ you must first begin at home and set things right within your hearts. Charity begins at home. Increase the warmth of your home fires‚ the love that emanates from the hearth. Then your love for the lost, for your outreach, for your ministering to others, will increase.
11. Love can cause marvelous chain reactions! As one reaches out to love Me, to love another, then it sets in motion a chain of love. Love begets love. So if you begin with a loving deed‚ a loving word, even a loving thought, it sets in motion the spiritual chain that continues and continues and continues.
12. Although to many this is simplistic and childish and a simple step to take, I say this is the greatest step you can take, for it is the step to Heaven, the step to make you more like Me, more Heavenly, more of a representation of My Father and of Me. Be My love for your brethren, for your children, for your mates, for your friends‚ for the lost, for the hopeless and helpless, the poor and the needy. This will I bless greatly.
13. If you love, you will bring down all the other blessings upon yourselves, upon your Homes‚ upon your sheep, upon your ministries. My love will beget love, and you will receive in great measure as you pour it out.
14. My goal is love; let this be your goal. Follow in My footsteps, looking forward to see who you can reach out to, who you can touch with My great love, forgiveness, comfort and peace. Give it freely, and freely I will repay and give manifold blessings to you in return. Let this mind and heart be in you—My mind and heart—a mind and heart which loves and loves and loves again unto the utmost.
15. I love you, My children. Seek to give and to share this love with others, and you'll be richly rewarded with My bounty, protection, supply, joy and freedom of spirit, all of which you can share and pour out to others. As you give, you receive; as you receive, you will have more to give. And so the cycle continues until all are overwhelmed and overshadowed by My perfect love. So love! I love you! (End of message from Jesus.)
Unity and Trust—
New Weapons for the Endtime
16. (Jesus speaking: ) One weapon you need to strengthen is the love of the brethren. My children, you each need to know without a shadow of a doubt that you would lay down your life for each other. The time is coming when all My Family will need to have that assurance in their hearts, that the other will be there for them.
17. You've made progress and have learned and grown in some areas of living the Law of Love and the "One Wife" vision, and I know you have it as one of your goals to work on more this year. But I must impress upon you the need and how important this weapon really is.
18. Some of you fight against this new move of the Spirit in your hearts. You struggle with selfishness‚ making ends meet yourselves, or wondering what battles the future would hold if you were to fully obey My Words. But the love I am talking about that I wish to give you will override all those things; it will overcome them, and it is the most important thing you could strive for right now. There will come a time in the not-too-distant future when material things and ministries will no longer be so important. The time is coming when you all will need to trust in each other's love just to survive.
19. It's like the story of the two brothers on the battlefield, when one brother was trapped in no man's land, mortally wounded. When the other brother found out about it, he came to try and rescue him, in spite of the certainty that he would be shot. Thus he sacrificed his own life trying to save his brother's. When asked why he did it, he replied with his dying breath, "Because he expected it of me." That's the kind of love and trust I'm talking about—knowing that you can count on each other.
20. This kind of love and trust and bond of unity is going to take a little while to nurture back to full health, as some of you have been hurt by others' selfishness. Selfishness is something that is common to all and is on both sides of the fence—you who have hurt others, and you who feel like you've been hurt. Some of you want more than your share‚ and you hurt others by not giving. Others of you feel like you deserve more, and so you're hurt when you're not given as much as you think you deserve. Then there are those of you who are giving, but have been taken advantage of. There are many hurts and wounds from selfishness. But now is the time to know that all have sinned and all have their selfishness. Now is the time to give each other the benefit of the doubt.
21. Now is the time to work on building more trust and unity in the Family, for this is one of the new weapons. Love‚ unity, trust, and selflessness are not just nice Christian virtues to strive for‚ but they are part of the new weapons that will protect and help you through the dark days ahead. All these work together with the other new weapons—loving Me intimately and so passionately that you know that I would never do anything to hurt you; knowing that I do all things for your good no matter what the outward circumstances look like; praising Me and hearing My voice to lead and guide and direct you; and trusting your brethren that they will be there for you, that they also hear from Me and will do the right thing. Such love, unity, trust, and selflessness will be a help and a comfort in the dark days to come. Now is the time to work on these weapons.
22. Just like with the other new weapons of My Spirit—praising Me, loving Me intimately, hearing from Me in prophecy—the way you will become skilled in using the weapon of love, unity, selflessness‚ and trust in your brothers and sisters is through using it. You might feel that you don't want to be the first one to step out, for you don't want to be hurt or taken advantage of. But those feelings are from the Enemy, as he tries to hold you back from using this very important tool that I've given you.
23. My loves, the days are coming when this love and strong trust and brotherhood between you will save your lives, if you have cultivated these things. And if you have not, you will be left wounded and vulnerable. The only way to become practiced and skilled in how to defend yourself with this weapon of love against the Enemy is to begin using it now. Ask Me how you can be more loving. Ask Me to show you the areas in your personal life where selfishness is manifested. Ask Me to speak to you about how you personally can go on the attack to break down the walls that have risen between you and your brethren, how you can manifest more trust, more faith, how you can share more and be a greater support to others.
24. This will not come easily‚ for the Enemy will fight you hard. But I tell you that it is a battle worth winning, for it will be your strength in the days to come. And along with hearing from Me directly, knowing of My intimate love for you, and being strong in the area of praising Me, this love and trust and unselfishness that will be built between you will be your defense, your strength, your salvation, your victory! (End of message from Jesus.)
25. (Mama: ) The Lord makes it very clear in that message that the unity He's asking us to have is not only so that we can be more fruitful or a better sample, happier, and receive more of His blessings, but because in the days to come our very lives and survival will depend on it! He said that it's one of the new weapons He's given us with which to defend ourselves against the Enemy and survive in the days to come. If we're going to continue to be His witnesses and be able to do the job He has for us right up until the End, then we'd better start preparing now in the ways that He shows us!
26. You might wonder what can be done to promote more unity, as it's such a big battle which has been going on for so long, and it takes everyone's commitment to bring about the victory. The Lord said in the above message that He's asking each of you to come to Him individually and ask Him what you can do. That will bring the victory—if you go to Him, and each of you is willing to humble yourself, obey, follow closer, and take the steps He outlines for you.
27. Maybe He'll ask you to apologize to someone, or suggest that you begin combining efforts with another Home on a project you've been working on. Maybe He'll speak to your heart about working closer with the other Homes in your city‚ or helping to care for the children of the single mom that's in your Home. Maybe He'll ask you to take in someone who asked to come to your Home, or to simply ask someone for a date and begin sharing sexually. Maybe He'll speak to you about comments you've made that have sown disunity, or remind you of some appropriate Word to read which will help to expose the problem in your life. Whatever it is, He will show you what steps you personally can take, and then it's up to you to obey and take them.
28. I know you want to, dear ones. You want to move ahead with the Lord and not be left behind, and using this new weapon of unity and trust is one of the very important ones the Lord says you need to work on.
29. He's serious about this‚ because He loves us and He wants us to make it through to the End! Lord help us to obey and follow, to be willing to lay aside our pride and whatever else is holding us back. In Jesus' name!
You Receive Power in
Direct Proportion to Your Love
30. In this next message the Lord gives a beautiful promise of His unfailing supply, protection and support during the difficult days ahead. But He makes it conditional upon our unity. He says that He will bless and prosper you in direct proportion to your love and unity!
31. (Jesus speaking:) You may feel that you've repaired the cracks and sealed the dykes. I'm proud of you for the small steps of progress you've made, but you must be more united! I expect much more from you—I expect wholehearted obedience! I ask you to look at your lives—the way you live and operate within your Homes and areas—and ask Me what more you can do to strengthen your spiritual defenses and to unite in My love.
32. Ask Me what more you can do to help your brethren and to be samples to each other of My love. Ask Me what you've been doing that is not a sample of My love. In the days to come, you'll be thankful that you took this time to sharpen your swords; you'll rejoice for the opportunities you've had to bolster your spirits and to grow in the "One Wife" vision of living the laws of My love, for these things will be your salvation.
33. I say to you, as I said to My friends and disciples during those last days that I spent with them after rising from the dead: Join together in obedience, humility‚ and love, in order for My promises to be fulfilled in you.
34. Only those who were united in obedience on the Day of Pentecost were filled with the white-hot flames of My Spirit and received the miraculous power and anointing to preach and to minister‚ to feed and to heal the multitudes. Do you long for that power? Do you seek the anointing to not only survive the troublous times and the economic perils of the days ahead, but to also have the power of My prophets and disciples to do the miraculous in order to be able to feed the multitudes of lost and hungry sheep?
35. The power that you seek is in the measure of your love. I promise you that you will survive and flourish in proportion to the measure with which you love and give and pour out to others. But you must begin now in order to build your faith. You must live lives of selflessness and giving‚ laying down your lives for the brethren, and trusting Me to take care of your every need.
36. Seek out opportunities to give and not to receive, for it is in living for others that you will be taken care of and fulfilled. But if you withhold your love, your goods‚ or the good deeds you could do for others, for concern that you will not have enough for yourself or your own, then you'll be left wanting. He who gives to others will not lack, while he who hides his eyes will not be blessed.
37. I've promised that I will do great and mighty things for you, My children, and that you will do great and mighty things for Me. And indeed you will—but only if you are prepared. Prepare now‚ for this is the day of preparation. (End of message from Jesus.)
The Beautiful Fountain,
And the Vital Importance of
Unity and Yieldedness
38. (Mama:) This next message was also originally given specifically for the Latin work. We asked the Lord if this could be applied to the work in any area, and He confirmed that it could. So with the Lord's permission, we've taken out the specific references to South America. Please prayerfully apply it to your area. It's a beautiful word picture, and demonstrates how much emphasis the Lord is placing on our yieldedness and willingness to work together as one.
39. (Jesus speaking:) The work of My Family is like a beautiful fountain that reaches high into the sky, and whose waters reach the lives of many. I am the One Who gives the water. I am the Source, and I freely give you water that you may pour forth unto others. I'm like the underground spring of fresh‚ living, lively, life-giving water. I'm always full and running over; you just have to tap into My source and pour forth My waters.
40. Each Home is like a little part of the fountain. Rarely do you see a beautiful fountain whose mighty jet of water shoots forth in one stream made of many little streams, from one spout made of many little spouts. Usually the most beautiful of fountains have separate pipes and spouts through which the water shoots to exhibit the overall beauty.
41. Each duct, each spout, each little pipe that shoots forth water from below must be clean and unobstructed so that the water can gush forth in full force‚ making the fountain, in its entirety, full, complete, even, and of perfect beauty. If one of the holes or pipes is clogged and the water is held back, the fountain is not complete, and all of the passersby notice the fault, the weakness, the problem. So it is with each of My Homes. Each Home is like a little pipe, a little duct, a little spout that makes up the fountain of My work.
42. I have created you as a fountain of life, a fountain of light, a fountain to refresh those who will taste of the goodness from your hands, those who will drink from this fountain of life—this fountain which is actually the fountain of My Words, the fountain of My love, the fountain of My truth‚ My rivers of living water which I pour through individuals and through Homes that are yielded to My will and allow Me to keep them clean and unobstructed from the things of this world, from the hindrances, from the roadblocks to unity.
43. How beautiful is this fountain when all parts are working together, when all parts are allowing Me, the fresh spring water, to flow through them! What a sight to behold, this beautiful fountain of My work, when all strive together in love and in unity. Every Home is needed, every person is needed‚ and the unity, the oneness that I desire is necessary.
44. You each have need of each other. You have need of the brothers and sisters within your Home and you have need of the brothers and sisters in other Homes. All must work together in love and unity if this fountain is to continue as a prize of beauty, as a tool of usefulness to Me‚ as a vehicle to feed, water‚ and nurture those whose throats are dry and barren without the Words of David, without the Words of My truth, without My Spirit.
45. You must clean your pipes and spouts. You must build love and unity‚ for all must work together towards My goals. If you allow yourself or your Home to become clogged, if you don't faithfully wash yourself with My Words, if you don't diligently seek Me for ways to stay clean and unobstructed, then soon My water will not be able to pass through you anymore. You'll be stopped up and I will not be able to use you.
46. At this point I will either have to shake you up real big and chip away at the problems that are clogging you and hindering you or your Home from being a clear, clean vessel, or I may just have to replace you with another new pipe and spout that is clean and clear and willing to be nothing—a holy hole for Me, a nothing, out of which I can make something.
47. I don't wish for you to be cast aside, and that's why I warn that you must constantly keep yourself clean through My Words and My guidance. You can't allow bitterness, disunity, and grudges to build up in your hearts and in your Homes. All must work together. All must be in unity to make the fountain of My Words‚ the fountain of My Family, bear the most fruit.
48. My fountain will flow constantly; I will see to that. But whether you remain a part of it is up to you. It's not a glorious job just being a vessel, a conduit of My Spirit, a messenger of My love, but it is a job that is greatly needed in this day of the weak and the humble. I will see to it that My fountain continues. My work will not stop, but it's your choice as to whether you wish to remain a part of that sparkling water that sprays forth to quench people's thirst, that sparkling fountain that all behold and look upon with admiration and respect.
49. The fountain is beautiful; it changes color with the seasons and the times, but the success of the fountain depends not on the great or the powerful or the strong. The success of My work depends on the willingness of the weak, the humility of the lowly, the unity of the Homes and of one with another, and the yieldedness of each one saying yes to Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
50. (Mama: ) Thank You Jesus for that very clear, beautiful word picture, which will stick with us and help remind us of how You see things. Please help us all to be willing to make whatever changes You're asking of us, so that we can continue to be flowing, useful vessels of Your life-giving waters to the thirsty.
Taking the Ball Down
The Field Together!
51. The Lord knows how to get our attention‚ and in this next message He uses a word picture incorporating a scenario that is dear to many of your hearts. You'll see what I mean as soon as you start reading—ha! Again, this was originally given for our dear Latin Family, but the Lord suggested that we publish it for all of you. He gave an additional paragraph and there are a few little places where He gave permission to delete or change a word or phrase in order to apply it to all of us. Praise the Lord!
52. (Jesus speaking:) My dear ones, how I love you each personally, individually, fully, and with all My heart! I picked you out from the grandstand around this big soccer field of My work to be teammates, joining arms, running alongside each other, passing the ball‚ and winning the gold medal that I have for each of you. And the medal is not just for you as a team, but for each one personally, for your effort in playing this game and giving Me all your time, strength and energy.
53. But you see, one can't play without the other. One can't just take the ball to the far end of the field and start kicking it about at will. There needs to be a plan, a strategy, and a united force that joins you together as a team. This you need to strive for, this muscle you need to build on.
54. You've seen weightlifting champions working on building different parts of their body so they can bear the weight without straining certain other parts of their bodies. Well, this is what I'm asking you to work on now. Start building the muscles of your camaraderie with each other. Build up the friendships among yourselves. Start today by reaching out to that one across the field who you see has the ball, but who is not quite sure what to do with it. From your perspective you can see a way to get it past your opponents and into the goal. Signal them‚ reach out to them, and together you can complete this segment of the game, till it be another's turn in the spotlight with that ball‚ and they likewise work together with other teammates to complete the goal.
55. Don't think it all has to be done by you alone. You don't have to do anything solely on your own, making things happen alone, maneuvering the ball all the way to the goal by yourself. You've got to work with your brothers.
56. My dear ones‚ see that sister or brother afar off on the other side of the field, who is struggling? Take them into your arms, embrace them in spirit and make them part of your team, if that's what they need and if that's what will make the victory come easily and more smoothly.
57. Why do you sometimes take the ball and run off with it on your own? Is it because you feel that that brother or sister doesn't hear what you are trying to say? Have you tried expressing yourself to no avail, and you are left with discouragement? Well, now is the perfect time to make those things right again—to not only open your mind to what others feel and need, but to likewise try to make amends, to share, once again, in love, what you've been feeling and needing in your life.
58. As you open your hearts and minds to each other, building bridges so others can cross the gap and enter into the fort of your life‚ you're going to see walls repaired where the Enemy was once able to enter, and where you had no guard of protection at attention. Those who come to join you in mind and spirit will be able to help safeguard you from future attacks of Satan on your work for Me, in this beautiful field that I've placed you in.
59. You can do it, team! You can accomplish the goal I have set before you! But none of you can do it without the other. Train as a team, run as a team‚ encourage each other, and you will win as a team! (End of message from Jesus.)
At the Root of Disunity Is Pride
60. (Mama:) Next is a message the Lord gave when we asked Him the question, "What is at the root of this disunity?" Obviously, our unity has been something He's been asking us, as a Family, to work on for a while, and we've made steps in the right direction. But we need to make a lot more progress, and in order to do that it helps to know what the root of the problem is, or what holds us back.
61. Please pay special attention to this message, because the Lord exposes the root of the problem. It's an area that we all fall short in and constantly need to be desperate with the Lord about—our pride. In a way, that's encouraging, because the key to victory is really quite simple: being willing to do the humble thing! Lord help us all!
62. (Jesus speaking:) My dear loves, some of you have seen this problem of disunity in your midst. You've tried to clip leaves off it. You've tried to cut back its branches. You have even tried to chop it off at the base, but it has always grown back. I know you don't like this tree of disunity. You wish to be rid of it, but you feel as if all your efforts to make it smaller or to cut it down have been to no avail.
63. Now I've come unto you‚ as the Master Gardener, to give you the solution, the key to victory over these problems which have been hindering you and frustrating you. As with any tree, any plant‚ it draws its nourishment from the root, and it is the root which keeps it alive and growing.
64. You must see, My dear ones, if you are to be rid of this problem with disunity, that it has a very strong root in pride. Pride of your accomplishments. Pride manifested in wanting to have the glory or the credit for your ministries, your fruitfulness‚ and thus you don't want to share with others. Pride manifested in your unyieldedness to each other, not wanting to yield to another's word or suggestion, for you feel yours is better. Pride in not wanting to share, feeling that you deserve something more than another. Pride which holds you back from using the new weapons as I would have you‚ and thus you are weakened in fighting these other battles. Pride‚ making you think you know better than Me‚ and thus you're not yielded to My checks and suggestions when I ask you to reach out and love, to apologize, to take the humble seat.
65. In all these ways and others, My loves, is your pride manifested. This great problem tree has its root in pride‚ and if you want to get rid of the problems with disunity which you have struggled with for so long, you'll have to be willing to get at the root, dig it out, and kill it. Then will come the victory!
66. You ask how you can learn humility, for you've been proud for so long. The victory comes through simply obeying Me. I'm always there, ready to help you and check you about the humble thing to do. You just have to be willing to follow My checks. I warn you that it will not be easy. It will even be painful, for when your pride dies, it hurts you and makes you feel like a part of you is dying. But, oh, the beautiful resurrection of humility, love and grace which follows is well worth it!
67. So I challenge you to go on the attack immediately‚ My loves, to do the humble things which I ask of you. They will come in little ways—confessing to one another, sharing your hearts, asking for prayer, yielding to another's wishes, putting your ideas on the back burner in order to help someone else fulfill theirs. I will ask you to reach out and share, to give the better part of provisioning to someone else, to give the credit to others for the fruit being borne. It's not enough to just give Me the credit—you must also give it to others, and really believe in your heart that without them it would not have happened.
68. This victory will not come easily, but it's imperative that you fight for it—and that you continue to fight for it every day if you wish to continue to be used by Me. I'm moving My Spirit to those who are willing to lay down their pride and work together with others. And no matter how fruitful the work, or how much I have anointed you in the past‚ or how well you think you can function on your own, those days are now over.
69. I'm giving a clear sound of the trumpet, and I call you to come and cast off your dirty garments of pride, that you might receive My beautiful, clean, strengthening garments of humility. Do it now‚ My loves! Heed My checks. Ask Me what I would have you do personally—for there's a key to victory for each of you, a first step that I will require of you, that you might begin down the road to victory. Ask Me what it is for you personally‚ and then take it! Don't try to compromise or get out of it, for My Spirit is moving now and will not wait for those who choose to lag behind.
70. I love you, My dear darling ones, and have promised you the victory. It's within your hand to take hold of it and receive it. Therefore determine to fight through, to humbly ask for My help and strength, and together we will win! (End of message from Jesus.)
71. (Mama:) The Lord gives you two very important practical keys to overcoming this strong root of pride in your lives: 1) hear from Him in prophecy exactly what you as an individual need to do, and 2) do the humble thing. I know that we often say "do the humble thing," and it's possible that with time this has become almost a cliché to many of you. You might have forgotten that that phrase came into use when the Lord said in prophecy in February of 1996, "When there is a choice to do the proud thing or the humble thing, always choose to do the humble thing" (ML #3043:19, Lifelines 23).
72. Let's see if we can, as Peter sometimes says, "put some skin on" this do-the-humble-thing concept. The Lord gives some examples in the above message of what doing the humble thing could mean to you. He said you might need to: confess to one another; share your hearts; ask for prayer; yield to another's wishes; put your ideas on the back burner in order to help someone else fulfill theirs; reach out and share; give the better part of provisioning to someone else; give the credit to others for the fruit being borne‚ and really believe in your heart that without them it would not have happened.
73. I felt there must be lots and lots more ways that we could do the humble thing, so I asked the Lord to enlarge this list of examples. The more specifics we have in a situation like this, the more likely we are to recognize His still, small voice when He's nudging us to do something. If you have a deeply engrained habit of pride and you're not used to doing the humble thing‚ you won't be as attuned to His checks, or if you do hear them‚ you will easily blow them off and make excuses. So all the more reason to have specific practical tips from the Lord. When we asked the Lord for some examples, He answered with a very good list of ideas in how to progress in the "humble thing habit," something we all need more of!
How Jesus Learned
To Do the Humble Thing!
74. Before I give you the list of things the Lord gave when we asked Him for suggestions of how to "put skin on" the do-the-humble-thing habit, I want to share with you a very special message which I think will help you appreciate the list of tips even more. In this message, our sweet Jesus shares His Own lessons of humility from when He was here in the flesh. He says that this list of tips is gleaned from His very Own experience while here with us in the flesh, and that it helped Him tremendously! Thank the Lord! He also shares priceless insights into how He remained humble, and how we can do the same.
75. (Jesus speaking:) I had to constantly be aware of My sample to others—and needless to say‚ I had to stay very close to My Father in order to be the sample He wanted Me to be. I was in the flesh, so I could have made grave mistakes at any time if it were not for prayer and My strong connection with Heaven. I had to fight for it‚ because after all, being in the flesh, there were many times My flesh didn't want to do the humble thing right off. Flesh is flesh, and there were many times when, because of My human nature, I didn't feel like doing the humble thing.
76. Each time I was tested‚ I had to yield. I had to humble Myself. I had to step out and obey. In the flesh I had to show Myself weak, yet it was this weakness that was My strength. Yes, My loves, it was the strength of weakness that made Me strong. It was the strength of weakness that pulled Me through. It was the strength of weakness in the flesh that made Me what I was and enabled Me to pull down the power of Heaven.
77. I was the pioneer of the weakness revolution! Believe Me, I know what it's all about. I know the glory of it, the wisdom of it, and the dire necessity of it. And this is why I'm requiring the same of My children today, for this is the only way you'll be able to do greater things than I did! It is given to this Family to do these "greater things"—greater things than I did when I walked in the flesh. But I must tell you, this will only be given to those who will follow closely‚ to those who are willing to show themselves weak so that My glory may shine through.
78. This is the key if you are to follow closely—you must walk in humility and show yourself weak. This is what I had to do, and this was My success. I was put to the test many times, just as you are put to the test day in and day out as you're presented with options‚ through many circumstances and conditions during the day when you must decide to do the humble thing or to pass it by.
79. I had to acquire the habit, just as you must, and it was through prayerfulness and daily seeking My Father that He helped Me each time and I was able to pass the tests. My Father taught Me and led Me and showed Me ways I could do the humble thing each time I looked to Him—and this is how I formed good habits. I was the originator of the "do-the-humble-thing" habit! Yes, I had to learn all the same lessons that you are having to learn today—and in this too I pioneered the way!
80. I want to share with you how it was I formed the humble-thing habit. I had to be aware. I had to be open to Heaven, open to My Father's voice and His suggestions. I had to ask for it—ask Him for ways, specifics, on how I could do the humble thing. I knew I didn't have it in Me—that is‚ in My flesh—to do what He was requiring of Me. I knew it had to come from Heaven, and that He was going to have to show Me what to do, how to act‚ what to say. I had to be very prayerful.
81. Doing the humble thing doesn't always come easy to the flesh, and this is why I had to learn it—I had to make it a habit. I learned that if I stayed in close contact with Heaven, I would be shown what the humble thing to do was in each instance. As I did this, I was able to create the habits, until they became part of Me.
82. I had to be the living Word to the people--to be humble and reflect the spirit of love, to walk in humility‚ simplicity, and lowliness of mind. I could not merely preach humility and love, I had to be humble and give love.
83. When I walked on the Earth, in order to truly walk in humility, showing Myself weak, I found I had to continually be on guard to not fall into pride. As you know, I was tempted in all points just as you are—and that means all, A_L_L. All points, including My pride. My human pride was tested time and again, for this was a point that Satan would have delighted to see Me fall in, since it was the crux of his own downfall.
84. Take a minute to think about it. It would have been very easy for Me to be lifted up in pride. After all, I was the begotten Son of God. Though I was weak in the flesh, I was strong in the Spirit. And though I was despised and eventually rejected of men‚ as news of Me spread abroad, as the crowds began to gather around Me everywhere I went, and as My Father wrought great miracles and mighty signs and wonders by My hand, as I grew in stature and learned to hone the gifts of the Spirit, this could have easily gone to My head—thinking it was in My flesh I was able to do such things.
85. I was tested time and again in many ways on My pride, whether I would take the credit to Myself or look to My Father and give Him all the glory. I was tested many times—whether I would do the humble thing or use My gifts to My Own end.
86. When I stood before magistrates and was asked why I did not send forces to vindicate My cause if I were a king‚ My pride was tested. In My flesh, I wanted to call down the legions of Heaven and show My force and power right there on the spot. But My Father knew a better way, and it was the humble way. My flesh didn't receive great glory in that moment as I stood and replied that My Kingdom was not of this world, for if it were, My armies would fight. But by taking the humble route, by standing back and letting My Father work in the way He knew best‚ the victory came, and all glory was given to Heaven!
87. It would have been easy to allow the blessings of the Spirit that were Mine to minister to My pride if I hadn't stayed in close touch with My Father. I had to learn to fight against the natural tendency of the flesh I walked in to think that it was so great.
88. When the news about Me went out and the crowds gathered from far and wide, that day when the 5,000 gathered and I fed them from the loaves and fishes, the praise of the people could have really gone to My head had I not resisted the temptation. As I worked miracle after miracle, each time My pride was tested—whether I would let it go to My head or whether I would give My Father the glory and honor that was His due, choosing to walk in humility.
89. A key for Me was in always giving My Father the credit, for in this way I was showing Myself humble. When the learned men of the world questioned Me, I told them, "I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me." And so it was. I found I had to always point to My Father and give Him all the honor and glory, as I replied, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father Who honors Me."
90. You see, the choice was Mine. As a man, I was tested in all points like you, and each time, with each test, I had to choose.
91. And now I want to bring to your attention something very special—something that will be of great benefit to you if you will put it to use. Do you know how My Father helped Me to resist the temptation to fall into pride? Do you know how I learned to walk in humility and in humbleness of mind and spirit? As My Father spoke to Me about these things, I made a list of the things I could do to help Me walk in humility. Does this surprise you? I'm a firm advocate of My children using to-do lists‚ checklists, guidelines, and reminders.
92. It's My Own personal "do the humble thing" to-do list that I've based this updated version on that I give to My Family now. Remember, I pioneered the way! Yes, this list is gleaned from My Own experiences, My Own lessons learned when I walked the Earth in the flesh. This list is the sum of My Own findings, My Own to-do list which I have added to and brought up to date and put in terms which you in the Family today can understand.
93. Putting this practical counsel into effect in My Own life on Earth was My secret to walking in humility and showing Myself weak. Therefore if you are to be the sample I want and need you to be‚ if you want to acquire the do-the-humble-thing habit, let this be your guide. Read this list often‚ pray over it, ask Me daily how you might apply it to your life that day, and I will guide you.
94. Do not fear, thinking this list is unattainable‚ but only take a step at a time. As you pray and seek Me daily, as you look to Me each step‚ I will lead you in the way of truth, until these steps become a habit and sink into the very fiber of your being. (End of message from Jesus.)
95. (Mama: ) Wow, thank You, precious Lord! What a precious glimpse into Your heart and the lessons that You personally had to learn. Please help us as we apply the counsel that You gave‚ so that we can be worthy of the calling You've given us.
96. The Lord says in that message that the only way we're going to do "greater things" is if we learn this humility and strength of weakness. That's a pretty heavy statement! Lord help us!
97. Okay, here's the list of tips from our Husband on the do-the-humble-thing habit. Please remember that these suggestions are to be applied in an age-appropriate manner, according to the guidelines of the Charter. And you, dear Family in South America, don't skip this list, because the Lord has made several additions to it since we published it for you! Praise the Lord!
Doing the Humble Thing!—
Practical Tips from
Our Wonderful Jesus!
More on Living
The "One Wife" Vision
98. (Mama:) Next is a message from our sweet Husband, where He explains again about the importance of living the "One Wife" vision, and all He wants to give us through these moves of the Spirit. He also gives you some very sweet encouragement and beautiful promises you can hang on to as you step out to obey!
99. (Jesus speaking:) Sometimes you can tend to get a bit mixed up, thinking you have to be so loyal to the ones you love that you wind up excluding others of your greater Family‚ or other loved ones right around you. Sometimes you just need to expand your horizons a little and look beyond your own little team and give My love to others that I've placed in your path.
100. Your attitudes concerning the Law of Love need to be placed in the right perspective. You need to give, so that it can be given unto you. When you hold back, it only tends to poverty. Remember this, My children: The best givers will be made rich—rich in the blessings I have to pour out to them.
101. You wonder just how far you have to go to be a part of these new moves of the Spirit—which aren't entirely new, but that I wish for you to grab ahold of and move with today, more than ever. I say, hold nothing back! Don't tread in the shallow waters when there's so much more I want you to explore. There are new moves of the Spirit that will lift you and give you abundant joy, if you'll only give them a chance.
102. When you see something new must be done, when you hear My voice calling or the voice of your queen beckoning you to come up to higher ground—why stay on the lower mountain peaks when there's so much more to explore and grab ahold of up here, where the air is crisper and clearer and the sunshine is brighter, though the way seems rockier at times?
103. You just have to realize when I bid you to forsake old ways and habits that it's for your good, and for the good of your lands. It's not because I don't know what I'm doing, or because I'm trying to make life extra difficult for you. I can see the whole spectrum, the whole picture‚ and I know what will do you good, if you can just shake loose and break loose from the old ways that I'd have you change.
104. So don't hold back from Me, My dear ones, when you hear My gentle whisper in your ears asking, pleading‚ telling you to do this or that thing, make this or that adjustment in your attitudes or things you've learned in your upbringing. Just yield to My voice, step by step, and I'll bring you out to pleasant and fruitful new pastures where My voice can be heard even more clearly, and where you'll know you're fulfilling My will.
105. Hold not back from Me, My loves. Don't let the voice of My instruction fall on faint ears, but with an eager heart embrace all I have to give. I will give you as much as your heart seeks to have from the honey of My mouth and from the wellsprings of My heart. So will I pour out to you‚ and you shall be blessed. When you restrain and don't want change, that's when you start to wither. When you think you're sufficient in yourself, that's when you get weaker. But when you know you're nothing without your Lord and God, that's when you take a big bite of the food of My Spirit, and a big drink from the water of the Word that I've laid out for you to partake of. This is when you're refreshed and rejuvenated the most.
106. I want to give you a large measure of My Spirit. I want to refresh and inspire you. This can only happen to the degree that the sack you hold up to get filled by Me is open. If you hold the neck closed somewhat, most of the grain might be spilled‚ while only part of it will make it into the bag. But if you open the strings all the way, letting Me see all the way into your bag, then I can freely pour into it what I know you need and will best fit. Then you'll go away feeling full, and rejoice because you have much stored up and much nourishment to feed on. So open up your sacks and let Me choose how much to pour in, and receive of the good grain that I have for you!
107. Those attitudes of self-willpower getting you through whatever task you have before you‚ thinking it has to be done by your power alone, are best left outside the door when coming before My presence and letting Me empower you. You can't do things by your own might, for you need Me to do the work through you. I alone can do it. I know what you need to make this work happen, and you need most of all to let Me come through and do it for you.
108. I love you, dear teammates! I'm going to help you past any hurdle that you have to get over and help you cross any stream you find in your way. I'll lift you and bear you up and over all these things that are in the way of reaching the goal. So trust in Me, and I'll most certainly do the work for you, and in you, and with you. Okay? We're in this together! I need you, and we're going to make a wonderful team as we work hand-in-hand with one another. (End of message from Jesus)
Make a Personal Commitment
To Love!
109. (Mama:) As I was thinking and praying more about how you can apply these messages from the Lord‚ it came to me that really what the Lord is asking of each of you is a commitment to love. Yes, He's asking for unity, oneness, harmony‚ but those are things which have to be brought about by everyone's effort together.
110. No one person can bring about unity—and yet He's making it very clear that this is a personal thing, between each of you and Him. You might read these messages and think, "Well, we all have to be working together in order to bring about unity, so it's not really something that I can strive for on my own." That kind of puts the onus to change on others rather than it being a very personal commitment.
111. But what is it that makes unity possible? What is it that brings us together and enables us to all strive for the same goals in harmony and unity? It's love—not our own love, which fails and falls short, but God's supernatural love. When we're living in His love, we're promoting unity. So the way to make a personal commitment towards living in unity with your mates and brothers and sisters is to make a personal commitment to love—to do the loving thing, the humble thing. If you do that, you'll be doing your part to live in unity—and that's what the Lord is asking of you.
112. I hope that helps to make it clearer to you what the Lord expects of you. He doesn't expect you to try to legislate righteousness or single-handedly bring about unity. That's not possible for any one person to do, and if you try, you'll probably just wind up being self-righteous and making a mess of things. But you can make a personal decision to love—not just once‚ but every day‚ each time you're faced with the opportunity to do so.
113. The kind of love that I'm talking about is the kind that truly prefers the happiness of others to your own—the kind that lays down its life that others may live, the kind that's willing to sacrifice just so life can be a little easier for others. It's not easy; it's the most difficult law the Lord ever gave—the Law of Love. That's the kind of love that the Lord is asking each of you to have‚ and that's the kind of love that will bring about unity! So don't worry about everyone else, and whether or not everyone is doing their part to bring unity. Just ask the Lord to make you more loving—and then sincerely do your best to love, and you'll be bringing about unity!
114. This is not the first time the Lord has emphasized the need for more love in the Family. Far from it! I think if you were to look back over the Letters published in the last three or four years, you'd see that the Lord has issued many stirring and challenging calls to greater love‚ such as "Libby's Homegoing" (ML #2936, Lifelines 21), "Personal Letters!—No.3" (ML #2951-53, Lifelines 21), "How to Have a Happy Home" (ML #2956, Lifelines 21), "Lessons of Love" (ML #2975, Lifelines 22), "Serve One Another in Love" (ML #2978, Lifelines 22), "A New Day of Love—April 1st Day of Pentecost Prophecies" (ML #3011, Lifelines 22)‚ "Come Together—In Love" (ML #3100, Lifelines 24), "Dad's Christmas Message for 1997" (ML #3150, Lifelines 24), and "Living the Lord's Law of Love—Part 11" (ML #3211, GN 814), among the other parts of this series and the many other Letters!
115. Love is the key—having love, living love, desiring love, giving love, being loving! You can't do it on your own, but the Lord can do it through you! And in order to have that love—real love‚ the Lord's love—you have to learn humility.
116. Recently the Lord said: "Do you see the connection, My loves? You can't have unity without humility. In order to have unity, you must have love—real love. And without humility, real love is not possible. But as I've taught you‚ where there is humility, there is real love; and where there is real love, there is humility. So the first personal step towards greater unity is to pray for Me to humble your pride and help you to have real love. All the rest will follow. It's one of My principles of the Spirit, and is guaranteed to work!"
117. I love you, dear Family, and Peter and I are proud of all of you who are moving ahead in the ways the Lord has asked us to. We're praying for each of you, because we know it's not easy. Remember, the Lord asks it of us as well, and He applies the same lessons to us that He's asking you to learn. So we know that it doesn't come without a fight, and we don't take it lightly when we publish this instruction from the Lord for you. But we know you can do it because He's promised it! Everyone who wants to make it will make it! Amen? Claim His promises and take those little steps, and watch Him do the miracles in your life that you can't do.
118. We're the last church, His called–out believers, and there is a price to pay for continuing in the Lord's highest will as His Endtime army. But the rewards in Heaven will be worth it all, and even here on Earth He will more than repay! I love you, and we're counting on you to make it! We need you desperately!
Much love always in our wonderful Husband and Lover, Mama