By Maria Maria #535 CM 3294 12/99

Sexuality and membership—3

Aliens?—5

Oral power!—8

What's it all for?—10

A real friend is…—14

Intimidated?—17

Soul mates in Heaven—19

Dear Family,

1. I love you dearly and pray for you daily! I'm going to address this mainly to you young people, although I'm sure it will be interesting for you of the first generation as well. This is the first of a special series of GNs which the Lord asked us to prepare for you, in which we'll be able to pass on the Lord's answers to some of the questions that you've written us regarding the Family‚ problems and battles, your spiritual life and walk with the Lord, our ways of operating and lifestyle as a Family, and some other messages which are on interesting topics that you may have wondered about. I'm sure that some will be more interesting to you personally than others, because you all have different interests and ways of looking at things. But I pray that even the questions and answers that you're not personally so interested in will be feeding and a blessing to you.

2. You might consider some of the answers the Lord gives to be "heavy" or "strong meat." You'll find that the Lord doesn't beat around the bush in His answers. He gets right to the point. He lovingly gives you the truth; it's up to you whether or not you receive it or benefit from it.

3. These GNs will, for the most part, be fairly straightforward, with a minimal amount of added commentary. They'll move around from topic to topic in the same GN, which will make for interesting variety. We did it this way so that we could get them out to you quicker, rather than waiting for enough material to put out a whole GN on each subject. These brief messages can't cover every aspect of a particular topic, but we asked the Lord to make the answers as well rounded as possible‚ and of course you can always ask Him to fill it in more for you personally if you have further questions about it.

4. I love you, and pray these are a blessing to you. Please don't hesitate to write us if you have questions you'd like to see answered, and we'll publish as many as we can, Lord willing. In the meantime‚ if you have a question, go to the Word about it and ask the Lord to speak to you personally about it. He's more willing to give than we are to receive! Peter and I love you very much, and we're proud of you for the sacrifices that you make to serve the Lord, and for the faith and maturity you demonstrate when you determine to believe the Lord's Words, no matter what.

With much love always,

Mama

Sexuality and Membership

Q:

5. My husband and I are SGAs and we are still learning a lot about how to live the Law of Love. We first started sharing outside our marriage about a year and a half ago, and in learning how, we have made mistakes (though I think mine far outnumber his!). We are both jealous people. I am a very emotional kind of girl, so for my husband to share me with another man is very difficult for him. He knows that if he shares me with someone else there is a good chance that I will walk away from that date with some kind of a bond, intimacy, or feelings for that other man. Not that I have been in any big relationships or anything like that; it's just a closeness with the other man, which is super hard for my sweet husband to accept. We both really love the Lord and the Family and we want to serve Him, but we've been feeling that the Law of Love just doesn't work for us.

6. Recently with the S2K when we were making a renewed commitment to live the CM standard and all that it includes‚ my husband was hit with, "I don't think I can sign this thing, because living the sexual part of the Law of Love is part of it." I also am pretty discouraged because I feel like every time I try to live this thing, I hurt my husband again. After really praying about it, though, we did sign, and for us that was a commitment to continue trying.

7. The Word tells us that the Lord will bless our sharing, and we have seen that a couple of times. I know that there have been times when I misapplied the counsel in the Word, and as a result have caused problems. But there have also been times when we both did our utmost to live the full counsel of the Word‚ and we still had problems—and that has been real discouraging, and hurt our faith in the Word that we had at the beginning.

8. So if we can't handle the sexual side of the Law of Love, was it a mistake for us to have signed the CM contract? We feel that in every other way the CM Family is the only place for us. I guess we're just discouraged that we've been having such a hard time with this, and we're a little afraid of what the future holds for us if we don't get this sorted out. As of now, we've determined to keep trying, since we feel like the Lord is requiring it of us‚ and we want to be in line with where the Lord is taking the Family.

9. Please pray for us. We really want to make it, and we don't want to get left behind.

Jesus:

10. All I ask of you‚ My precious brides, is the willingness and commit­ment to keep trying. I don't expect perfection. I only desire the willingness in your heart to do My will, to keep moving forward, to keep taking steps in the right direction, to make an effort to live My Law of Love in its entirety. I don't demand perfection. In fact, I expect that you'll make mistakes and you'll often fall short of the goals that I've laid before you in My Word. I know that you're only human‚ and that you're bound to make mistakes and even feel that you don't have what it takes.

11. My precious loves, all I desire from you is your willingness and your determination not to give up. You don't have to have everything in your life perfect in regards to living the Law of Love. You don't have to feel that because you haven't attained yet that you're not CM material‚ that you don't have what it takes.

12. You feel like you're at the bottom of a very high ladder, and you've only barely begun the climb. You want to live the Law of Love and you've tried, but it seems like your failures have been much more frequent than your successes. You feel like you slip and fall and make mistakes nine times out of ten, and this makes you wonder if you really have what it takes to be in My Charter Member Family. You wonder if you're being a hypocrite in signing the contract when you feel that you've barely begun climbing the Law of Love ladder, and you're discouraged by how far you have yet to climb.

13. I know the feelings of your heart. I know that you want to give your all to Me. It is your desire to give your all to Me and your desire to keep moving forward and changing which is your salvation. It is through your willingness to change and grow and move forward that you have what it takes to be in My Charter Member Family. All I desire is your willingn­ess to obey‚ and your subsequent steps to obey, no matter how small.

14. As long as you're willing and committed and determined to give it your best shot—to live the Law of Love as I lead you to in your life—then you have what it takes to be in My Charter Member Family. Even if you feel like you're not making much progress, and may even wonder if you're a hypocrite because you feel so far behind and almost incapable of living the Law of Love‚ you still have what it takes if you're willing to keep trying.

15. For a long time you'll do more things wrong than right. In the beginning, more things will seem to go awry‚ and they may seem to outweigh the times when you feel like real fruit has been borne from living the Law of Love. But if you keep fighting and keep trying and keep taking little steps in the right direction as I lead you, you'll begin to do more right things than wrong things. You'll start to have more happiness instead of sadness, more victories instead of problems. The victories will overcome the battles, and the successes will override the times when you fail.

16. It doesn't matter how many problems you feel you have. It doesn't matter if you feel like a spiritual baby in living the Law of Love. It doesn't matter if you get discouraged and feel like giving up because you feel like you're not attaining, that you're not going to make it. The Enemy's going to try and get you to do just that, because he hates you, he hates My Law of Love, and he hates you living it. He's out to destroy you and your usefulness to Me, and he'll use any means possible.

17. Don't allow him to convince you to give up by condemning you for your failures and for the mistakes that you make and the battles that you have in living the Law of Love. He wants to make you believe that you can't make it‚ but I want to convince you and promise you that you can! I won't promise smooth sailing and that all the problems will vanish, but I promise that you can live it if you want to live it and if you determine in your heart that you're going to live it—for Me and others—come what may, through thick or thin, with battles or without.

18. As long as you're willing and have a believing heart and make a commitment to Me, I can help you. I don't guarantee an instant victory, but I do guarantee that you will reach a point of great victory if you choose to hold on. You will make mistakes, there will be battles and problems‚ but I'll use all of this in your life to make you into an even stronger Charter Member of My Endtime Family. What you feel is your weakness—your inability to live the Law of Love—will become your strength. I will use it in your life to strengthen you, not to defeat you. I will use it in your life to keep you moving forward and changing‚ which is the prerequisite of My Charter Member Family.

19. Don't let the Enemy turn the powerful steppingstone of the Law of Love into a stumbling block! Don't let him convince you that you haven't got what it takes, so you might as well give up. He knows you do have what it takes, and that's why he's trying with all of his power, with whatever means possible‚ to get you to turn back instead of using this stepping­stone to go forward to greater heights with Me. He knows the power you'll receive through living My Law of Love—through the lessons of great worth that you learn, the experiences that bring wisdom that will last for eternity, and the blessings that I bestow upon you for your willingness to follow My radical truth.

20. If you have the willingness and the determination to live My Law of Love as I show you to live it in your life‚ step by step and day by day, then you can sign the Charter Member contract in full faith, because this is what I desire and need from you. Even if you feel that you haven't attained or that you're doing poorly in applying the Law of Love in your life, if you want to live it and if you're committed to living it, then you've got what it takes and I will bless you for it.

21. You're not being a hypocrite, because you're willing to keep moving forward and to keep trying. That's the kind of fighter I need in My Charter Member Family—those who keep going no matter what, those who never say die, those who never give up, My revolutionary brides of the End! (End of message from Jesus.)

Aliens?

Q:

22. Do alien life forms exist on other planets or in other star systems and galaxies? Have any of these other races ever visited Earth? What about tales of alien abductions?

Jesus:

23. Ever since time began, man has been interested in seeking something beyond his simple existence on Earth. Some wanted to find a better place‚ or longed for a better world without the problems that this one has. Others were simply curious‚ some because I had put it in their hearts to be interested in the mysterious, the supernatural, the unknown. So tales began of other life forms, distant beings, and sometimes not-so-distant beings, who visited and watched over the Earth. Were they true? Or were they only made up?

24. Well, there was a touch of truth in the tales and legends of unusual and foreign life forms being seen and heard. After all, there are clouds of witnesses watching over the Earth, and there are indeed "alien life forms" all around—spirit bodies—many of whom even walked the Earth in its early days. Some took them to be gods and worshipped them. The good spirits were always careful to make sure that their followers gave glory to Me, while the evil spirits craved the worship of themselves—Baal, Dagon, Moloch, and the myriad of others who sought to gain their own following among the children of men.

25. So stories of aliens on Earth go back a long way. Of course, in this modern day, when man has drifted further away from his belief in the super­natural, he seeks further for physical manifestations, scientific proof and tangible signals that there is life other than merely what I have created there on Earth.

26. There is something that resides deep in the heart of man that causes him to look up at the skies and wonder whether or not he is alone in the universe. Ever since man has had knowledge and understanding of his planet Earth, he has been curious as to what else is out there, and the quest and questions continue.

27. Some, in their desire to find something to live for, latch on to tales of alien spaceships visiting and even landing on Earth‚ picking up an occasional passenger, or abducting some unsuspect­ing victim against their will and whisking them away into some strange and unfamiliar environment. These are all signs that man is still looking for something greater than himself, something more powerful, something more advanced, something more intelli­gent, something that perhaps could provide him with the answers that he is not able to answer himself—because man has rejected the love of the truth.

28. There are many reasons people seek for and desire such things to be true. One is that they are lonely and empty and feel their lives are not full or fulfilling. Along with this often comes a spiritual longing that craves anything spiritual, whether good or evil, whether truth or lie.

29. If one does not know Me, they do not know how to discern what is true or not. Then if something is true and they are convinced of that, they still do not know how to discern what is good or what is evil.

30. So Satan has been allowed to send strong delusion, that they might believe a lie. His delusion is not getting people to believe in aliens—which are real, and some of the stories about them, which are true—but his delusion is that through these things he brings about fear or a desire for evil. People are so hungry for anything spiritual that they'll gobble up anything in that category, even if it is evil. So some become "UFO fanatics" or the like, while others who are not hungry spiritually, in their carnal minds reject all possibility of alien life because of a few stories that seem to them to be crazy or ridiculous—and some are.

31. People have been allowed to experience visions and even trips to other worlds above your own world, much like your Father David was brought into My Own Space City‚ and even into the nether regions of the Earth.

Q:

32. Does this mean that the aliens are Satan's agents?

33. (Jesus speaking:) No, Satan's agents are not the aliens I speak of when I say that there are aliens out there. Rather, Satan uses his agents as decoys, to frighten people and bring them into bondage through fear of him. He knows that if mankind actually believed there were other races out there, it would be forced to acknowledge a Maker of this grand design. So he drives his victims insane, and their crazy rantings about being "kidnapped by aliens" serve to dull people to the possibility that God did create other races. (End of message from Jesus.)

34. And so Satan's purpose is fulfilled—one more crackpot he can use to convince others that those who proclaim life beyond the limits of the physically sensible are merely insane dreamers whose rantings are to be ignored. Thus he gets the people of the world to think and act all the more carnally, hoping to close their flatlander minds to anything that might cause them to wonder if there really could be something better out there, something more to live for than this shallow existence on a planet he is doing his best to control and exercise his power over.

35. It is possible for a man's body to be completely removed from the physical plane and transported through time and space. This is not a new concept; you have heard of it before. It is similar to how Enoch walked with Me, or how Elijah was taken up into the sky, and the world saw them no more.

36. To you who live in the spirit and whose eyes have been opened to the greater truths of the spirit, who are not bound by the carnal world of the flesh‚ I can open the secrets of the universe and reveal the truth of what—and who—is really out there. Indeed, there are those who live on other worlds, on other planets‚ and in other dimensions that you are not now able to comprehend. I delight in creating life, as a father delights to have children, that he may teach them and train them and share his life and experience with them.

37. I have put it in the heart of mankind to be explorers, pioneers, adventurers. Through this natural desire‚ which I inspired‚ man has been able to explore and colonize this planet, and is now reaching out to those beyond. Though I will not allow man to fully discover what lies beyond during this age, in the ages to come, once My Kingdom is established, mankind will be able, under My guidance and super­vision, to travel through the galaxy to distant planets, to explore and even to colonize.

38. As I teach and train you, My children on Earth, so do I also prepare and train those on other planets, each in their own way. Now is not the time for all these things to be revealed to you, but this will I tell you: Your planet has been especially chosen by Me to be the training ground for leaders of the future—leaders for not only this planet‚ but for all the galaxies and the entire universe.

39. You are the ones in whom I have invested the most in physical gifts and talents, skills and abilities‚ as well as in the way of knowledge and understanding of Me and My Words and the deep things of life and of the spirit. Some have not put these skills and this training to good use, but many of you have. I will use all that I have created and all the talents I have given, both now in this life and in the life to come.

Q:

40. If we are going to be their leaders, yet at the same time some of the UFO visitations are apparently real, then it would imply that the technology of these aliens is much more sophisticated than ours. It would seem that they would be leading us rather than the other way round. I understand that we'll lead spiritually‚ but it still seems a little odd.

41. (Jesus speaking:) I have a special ministry and plan for each and every one of My creations, and for each race. I tell you now that you will never, in your earthly life, fathom the intricacy of My plan or the marvelous and foreign make-up of alien planets and their "people." Suffice it to say that you do not need to be the most technologically advanced race to be leaders in the universe. Indeed, the ways I would have you lead have nothing to do with technology. Rather I am strengthening My called-out ones in the weapons and strengths of My Spirit. (End of message from Jesus)

42. I delight to teach and train you, and to show you great and mighty things that you know not. I have commissioned you to go forth and preach the Gospel to every creature, that the eyes of those who have been blinded to the greater and fuller life of the spirit may be opened, that they may once again return to their Father, make peace with one another, and become sons, daughters, and children of God. That they may know the One God, the almighty‚ all-powerful, Whom to know is life eternal in a realm of eternal dimensions‚ in a world without beginning and without end. (End of message from Jesus.)

Oral Power!

Q:

43. What actually happens to your spirit, your heart, and your emotions when you put something into words rather than only thinking it?

Jesus:

44. Your tongue is like a rudder in the spirit that sets the direction your boat will go—your mind, your heart, your actions, even your beliefs. You have thoughts in your mind, just floating about, but as soon as you say something, as soon as it comes out of your mouth, it sets a definite direction for your path. The rudder is turned‚ and the boat—your attitude, your thoughts, your intentions, your mind—then begins to go in that direction.

45. It's a spiritual law, the "physics" of the spirit, that once you voice something, that's the way you begin to go! What you confess with your mouth points you in the direction of that belief‚ and unless you then confess otherwise and have a definite change of mind and heart, it becomes what you believe; it's what's in your heart. Once you confess with your mouth whatever it is that you confess, then that opens up your spirit to spiritual influence in that direction, whether for good or for evil.

46. There are several verses about confessing—saying something aloud. It's not just referring to confession, but it's what's coming out of your mouth, it's a statement‚ and I place great importance on the things you say and on the words you speak. "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I con­fess also before My Father which is in Heaven" (Mat.10:32). "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus‚ and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom.10:9). "For it is written‚ As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God" (Rom.14:11). "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" (1Jn.4:2,3). [See also Mat.12:34–37.]

47. See, it's not just words. Words are real things. Words are spirit, and spirits are attached to words. Some people who are not saved can't even say My Name, and that's because of the spirit that is in them; it's not just the person.

48. If you think about dark or evil things, they affect you, for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. If you dwell too much on evil thoughts, they can grow and influence you, but the effect is greater when you actually start talking about them. Once you voice them, this causes them to grow even deeper and causes you to act on them differently than if you had continued resisting and fighting them. Once you voice evil things, then the words you speak open up your channel to receive those spirits, to partake of the darkness or the evil, and it takes you deeper. That's when a fascination for them can grow and you become intrigued by them‚ more interested and hungry to know more.

49. There's much more importance to the things you voice than you realize. That's why in times of persecution, they wanted Christians to deny their faith. Those who confessed My Name aloud were given the necessary strength, grace and anointing, and many times those who did not voice their belief in Me turned back. You receive an anointing depending on what you say or don't say. You receive spirit helpers by what you say or don't say. If you use foul language, you invite foul imps and spirits around you; if you praise, you receive strong and protective spirit helpers.

50. As I have said‚ My Words are spirit and life; that is the quality of My Words in particular. The Enemy's words are spirit and death. Your words are also spirit and carry a spirit as soon as they come out of your mouth. (End of message from Jesus.)

Mama:

51. After receiving the above message, someone asked: "What about things you write? Are those in the same category as the things you say, in the sense that they have more power over your mind and more effect on your life than an unexpressed thought?" To this the Lord replied:

52. Yes, in a sense the things you write and the things you say are synonymous. When I speak of what you "say‚" this means what you communicate to others. This is because mankind "speaks" in writing, through notes and letters, through e-mail and so forth. Therefore‚ you can also apply these principles to that which you write down. The things you "voice"—whether you speak in actual words face-to-face with someone, or whether you "talk" via written com­muni­cation—will set a definite direction for your path. (End of message from Jesus)

What's It All For?

Mama:

53. An SGA recently posed the question: "Where are the ones who are real missionaries, laying down their lives every day to reach lost souls? Sometimes I feel that we spend so much time 'bettering ourselves' with all the Word and counsel we get that we forget what it's all for. Have we become the 'self-improvement society'?"

54. Why do we need to improve our­selves? Why do we need to be strengthened spiritually‚ practice with the new weapons, and try to overcome our weak­nesses? What does all that have to do with the big picture?

Jesus:

55. My call to the Family to be strengthened spiritually and to learn to use the new weapons which I have provided is a means to an end. I'm not interested in seeing My children perfect themselves, or even improve themselves just so they can be better people, or so they can feel better about themselves, or so they can exercise their spirituality. This is not a self-improvement program that has no further goal or purpose.

56. What My children must understand is that the spiritual strengthening that I'm calling for—the cleansing of their hearts and minds, and the need for them to hone their skills in using the new weapons—is not the end in itself. It's only the path that leads them to the goal, which is to enable them to be better and more fruitful disciples. That's the goal. I'm helping each person in the Family and each Home have the opportunity to be better witnesses and testi­monies.

57. This so-called "self–improvement" is really job training—training so you can do your job better. The vocation, the truly important part of the whole process, is that of being a disciple. You won't have what you need to be My disciples in the days to come without this specialized training, so there is abundant attention on it at this time, during these days of peace when I know you have the time and wherewithal to concentrate on the lessons you need to learn.

58. Every profession has job training, and after the initial training, those who truly want to ad­vance in their field often participate in advanced training‚ specialized training. People from all walks of life know that if they want to stay on the cutting edge of their field of expertise, they need to keep learning and progressing. Yesterday's knowledge, methods or programs aren't good enough for today.

59. Take computer programmers, for example. They're always learning, advancing, trying new things. They study, they watch other professionals, they absorb and work overtime to enhance and try to perfect their programming skills. But is that study or research or experimentation the end in itself? No, of course not! They're willing to do all that for the ultimate purpose of being better programmers—faster‚ more proficient‚ more original, more intuitive. They're willing to undergo what could look like "self-improvement" for the sake of getting the job done better and keeping up with a growing industry. They know if they settle down and just kick back with their feet up on the desk, satisfied with what they learned in college, they won't be much in demand pretty soon, and they might even lose their job! They surely won't be the best‚ the real crack programmers!

60. What about actors who make movies or star on Broadway? They study‚ rehearse, research, and put in hours and hours of behind-the-scenes work. They practice their lines and intonation. They travel to become familiar with different cultures and accents. They sometimes even live with certain individuals that they'll be portraying on screen to learn their manner­isms, reactions, and thought patterns. They stay up with fashion and styles. They pore over the script and confer with their fellow actors and the directors and producer. They plan, rehearse, and are willing to shoot the same scene over and over again.

61. This could be looked upon as "self-improve­ment," but is this the goal? Do you think this is what they do it for? No, absolutely not! They're willing to do all that to ensure the desired end result—a good movie or play, a blockbuster, an Academy Award! They know if they just settle for the amateurish training they had in high school when they were in the drama club, they'll never make a living. They want to be the best, the actors that sweep you off your feet and move you, so they work hard at it and keep working at it day after day, year after year, always seeking to do better.

62. A race car driver might begin with a fascination for speed as a young person, so he works at night to soup up* his hot rod. He races around on the back roads and engages in compe­tition when and where possible. But if he wants to excel in that profession, it takes work and applying himself 100%. He goes to school to learn everything there is to know about engines and the dynamics of speed. He's coached in every detail of his driving. His car is custom-made to fit his body, and his speed is clocked to the hundredth of a second. *(To modify the engine to increase the potential speed of the vehicle.)

63. But is all this practice, study, and exhausting training the end in itself? No! He's waiting for that moment when he'll win the Grand Prix, be the world champion‚ the greatest driver ever! That's the motivation and the goal. All the other so–called "self-improvement" is just a means to that end. Even if he's a "natural" and knows no fear and has a knack for it‚ that won't be enough. He has to spend time with the experts, reviewing his performance and checking and rechecking every reaction and every move. There's always room for improvement, ways to do better. There's always that driving passion to shave another tenth of a second off his personal best.

64. So what about you? Your vocation, your profession, is to be My disciple. I'm asking you to get stronger spiritually. For years I've been revealing to you new weapons of warfare to fight your Enemy. I've coaxed you to become My intimate Bride so you can receive My seeds in passionate lovemaking‚ and thereby have all that you need to be stronger, more powerful, and more loving. I've provided a detailed study course on how to live the Law of Love. With the Shakeup you've been challenged to be cleansed of the pollution of the evil wells and poisoned grass of System influences. I'm trying to teach you to ask Me everything, to practice with your gift of prophecy.

65. All of this makes you better, and if you do this, you will be improved. It could be looked upon as self-improvement, and there's nothing wrong with that. But what is wrong is that you're missing a very big and important part of the picture, and that is‚ what is the purpose in all this? Some of you have gotten the idea that the end goal is just to better yourselves‚ and this has made you feel frustrated and like there's something false or shallow or useless in this, that it's an exercise in false humility or self-effort. You think, "Sure, I can always make myself better, but what for?" You look around and you wonder if this is all there is, and if it is, then to you it's boring and futile. You think‚ "Yes, it might be prep­aration for the Endtime, but what about today?"

66. The ultimate goal of all that I've poured out so you can "improve yourselves" is preparation for the Endtime, because that's the ultimate battle­ground. That's the biggest challenge‚ where your skills, strength, resolve and power in Me will be tested to the limit. But there are also other intermediate goals or fulfillments of My plan along the way. I also intend to use your progress in these various personal pushes to help you in your vocation, your profession today, which is being My disciple!

67. I want you to look carefully at the Charter Member contract. Sometimes there's the tendency to be very mindful of just a few details without grasping the greater picture or the whole vision. There are some clauses in that contract that relate directly to what you can call self-improvement, things you need to do to keep yourself in good spiritual shape and going forward. There are requirements that serve to regulate your spiritual growth and ensure that you're one in heart and mind with your brethren, your fellow disciples. There are clauses that are primarily to help you commit to the spiritual feeding and dedication that I know is essential. Those are:

ØMaintaining a close connection with God through personal communion with Me. Doing this includes such things as praising Me, praying, reading the Word‚ memorizing, minimizing and resisting ungodly and unedifying influences‚ and being full of the Holy Spirit.

ØBelieving the Family's fundamental beliefs.

ØDoing all you can to live the Word.

ØReading the Word—the Bible and the Letters and other pubs.

ØLiving the Love Charter and Fundamental Family Rules.

ØTrying to make progress in your weaknesses and besetting sins.

68. There's been quite a bit of emphasis on these areas in recent years, so much so that you might feel this is it, the goal‚ the end of the line, the all in all. But this is not the case. There's a reason why the above requirements for Charter Membership are so important, and that's so you can do your job!

69. Now let's look at the points in the Charter that represent your profession, your vocation, your work for Me. Those are:

ØLiving like a good Christian.

ØWitnessing.

ØRaising your children in a Godly manner; edu­cating them, training them spiritually, and dis­ciplining them lovingly and consistently.

ØLiving Acts 2:44 and 45 and being a good steward.

ØLiving the Law of Love.

ØPutting the needs of your Home and others above your own.

ØGiving your all (your resources, time, energy, knowledge, gifts and talents) to reach the goals of your Home and the Family overall.

ØDoing your job the best you can.

ØNot doing anything that would be a reproach to the cause of Christ or be a bad testimony of the Family.

70. The things I just listed are not self-improvement—they're your job, your profession! This is what you're commissioned to do as a Charter Member. This is your work for Me as a Christian disciple.

71. I know there's been a lot of emphasis on cleaning up the Family since the Shakeup, espe­cially minimizing ungodly and unedifying influences—which means cutting down on the negative influence of the System. That emphasis was very necessary, because it was the poison of the System that was weakening and killing the whole Family. That pollution had to be stopped and purged. You also had to be strengthened spiritually through increased attention to your spiritual lives and walks with Me.

72. But now I want you to look at the rest of the contract. I want you to see that the first category of "self-improvement" [see paragraph 67] is a means to an end, so you can do your job. If you don't work to keep yourself strong and pure and separate from the System‚ if you don't dedicate yourself to keep the spiritual standard of the Word, if you're not willing to exercise the new weapons, the bottom line is that you won't be able to do your job!

73. Think how silly it would be for you to be trying to witness to people today with nothing but the Warning Tract and the set card, the tools we used in our early days 30 years ago. Think of reaching today's youth with the music on the first DTD tapes. Think of going out each day to just do Holy Ghost samples and give food away on prophet buses. All those things were good in their time, but they wouldn't be enough for today. You had to move forward, develop new tactics and new products and approaches for your work. The same is true of the new weapons and the programs that I've led your king and queen to institute to strengthen the Family. It's because I know that without such weapons and programs, you won't be able to do your job in today's climate and in the days to come.

74. So you see, the ultimate goal is not just that you make yourselves better and stronger and more loving and draw closer to Me. The ultimate goal is that you become better‚ stronger, and more loving disciples and more fit for your work for Me. I want to see you do a better job, win more souls and disciples‚ and be better testimonies. I'm an efficient Boss, a very clever Personnel Director, and I surely don't waste time on unnecessary programs and pushes just to make work for My employees. This isn't just to make you feel good about yourselves! This is to get the job done, to reach the world, and to help you to be the kind of powerful testimony that will make people seek you out to see how and where you've come by the miracle-working power you have.

75. You want to do great works; you don't want to be burdened with all these programs and practice with the new weapons. But I tell you plainly that you won't do the great works if you're not fit and strong and pure in Me. You can't have one without the other! But My plan and desire is that you have both—that you improve yourselves, if that's what you want to call it, so that you're the samples and disciples you need to be to get the job done.

76. I want to see you witness as never before‚ have a disciple-winning explosion, reach the world with your tools and music, win the top and regular supporters‚ and have happier, more loving Homes that people want to visit to see the sample of such a great miracle that people can live together in unity and love today! But you can't do this if you refuse to follow the whole CM contract. You can't do the job without the training. You won't be able to keep up and keep advancing spiritually, or even physically, unless you apply yourself and keep learning. But the training and learning is not the end in itself; that is the means to the end. The first list of requirements for Charter Members regarding your spiritual feeding and dedication is a means to the end for the second list, which represents your jobs as My disciples!

77. So you can take it or leave it when I counsel you about how to be closer to Me and how to become an expert with the new weapons. It's up to you. I'm not forcing you. But remember the computer programmer or actor or race car driver—if you don't keep forging ahead, if you live in the past and refuse to follow where I'm leading today, if you think you've arrived and there's no need to improve, that's as far as you'll get, and pretty soon you'll just fade away. You'll be like the computer programmer who got stuck in college, or the actor who wants to stay with his high school drama club, or the race car driver who's still driving the jalopy he used to race as a teen.

78. It's up to you. You can fight to stay on the cutting edge and really get something done for Me, or you can be satisfied with what you have and stop progressing. But if you stop making forward progress, then you'll stagnate and eventually begin sliding backwards in your life and walk with Me. And in such a case, you'll soon find that you feel out of place in the CM Family. The CM Family is for disciples—those who want both the means to the end, the so-called "self–improvement‚" and the end itself, getting the job done! I'm looking for those who are willing to keep themselves fit and strong spiritually so they can do the job of a disciple—to follow Me daily‚ go into all the world to preach the Gospel, live communally and share all things, be separate from the world, and put Me first! (End of message from Jesus.)

A Real Friend Is…

Q:

79. How do you measure or judge a person's eligibility as a good friend? What is it that makes a good friend? What makes a bad friend? How can you be a better friend to those you love?

Jesus:

80. My children, My young and vibrant loves, My friends: I don't just call you My servants, but My friends—My very truest and dearest friends.

81. One of the virtues and strengths of a true friend is that they shoot straight with you. You especially like the honesty, warmth and depth of a true friend, someone who's always there for you, who will always listen to you. You can always bare your heart to them without fear of rejection. You feel as if you can always just dive off the deep end with them and immediately you're swimming around together in deep waters‚ not shallow ones.

82. However, I've been seeing some pretty murky waters when it comes to your attitudes toward true friendship and what you think are the qualifications for it. The Enemy has twisted things and muddied these otherwise strengthening waters. He's highlighted the truth that a friend loves at all times, but also added in a very pervasive, insidious and dangerous lie. He absolutely outright lies to you when he says that if a friend truly "loves" you, they aren't going to "hurt" you or your feelings in any way by telling you the truth, and they're certainly not going to deliver the truth of the Word to you; they're certainly not going to try to lift you up spiritually and point you in the right direction; and they're certainly not going to pray with you and encourage you to look to Me or to the Word.

83. The truth of the matter, My truth, is just the opposite of the Devil's lies. My Word says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend (a true friend!), but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." The Enemy's lies‚ half-truths and words can some­times come in the form of sympathetic and comforting "kisses," because they feed and minister to your own wrong, distorted, worldly attitudes. But these same "kisses" are deceit—outright lies—and they're designed to end your spiritual growth and ultimately pull you away from Me.

84. The Enemy has really gotten a foothold in some cases, to where this gift of friendship has become an idol in your lives‚ even superseding your loyalty to Me, the Word, and to your queen and king. You've compromised your convictions and failed to speak up if something is wrong or a wrongdoing has been committed. The Enemy has instead spread the great lie that to speak up or report wrongdoings is a betrayal of the worst kind‚ for it is a betrayal of the idol of "friendship."

85. I'm going to be a true Friend to you here and shoot straight with you: In many cases the Enemy has clouded your perception and attitudes regarding what truly qualifies a person as a friend. Even your definition of a friend is more from a worldly and selfish point of view than a Godly and unselfish point of view. You've allowed the Enemy to rob friendship of its true beauty and strength, and to instead place about your shoulders the cloak of exclusivity, of secrecy‚ of secret pacts and vows, of mixed and divided loyalties, of feeling that only one or a select few can be your friends. Others are not permitted to enter this "sacred" circle, and so selfish and ungodly cliques are formed.

86. This cloak of exclusivity and mis­placed loyalties has nourished your own needs to a certain extent and provided a sense of security and warmth, but unfortunately it's kept you from opening your hearts and lives to others who so very desperately need you and need your arms of friendship to be open and extended to them as well. It's hindered you from living the Law of Love completely, of being dropped out of the world's selfish and exclusive attitudes‚ and kept you from fully embracing My One Wife vision.

87. It's prevented you from standing up for the truth and what you know to be right for fear of losing your "friends." It's caused you to compromise, and instead of fully exposing yourself and opening yourself up to Me and your earthly shepherds in trust, humility and honesty, you've instead opened your heart and secrets only to your "friends"—robbing Me and those who love and care for you and shepherd you of a priceless treasure and intimacy: your heart.

88. This cloak has hindered your desire for Me to enter into every circle of your life and into every corner of your heart and spirit. It's ob­struct­ed the new moves of the Spirit—the Spirit that calls you to turn your eyes off yourself and the ways and attitudes of the world‚ and to instead don the gar­ments of the new day. And the thing that hurts Me the most is that it has hindered your drawing closer to Me.

89. The definition of a true friend in My book is one who is faithful to deliver the truth to you—even if it hurts you or your feelings—because they love you and they care for you. They care for the entire you, which includes your spiritual well-being, your growth, and your closeness to Me. They don't want to see you stumble or fall by the wayside; they value you and your service to Me. They want to see you make it. They want to climb alongside you. They need you. They need you to be there for them when they fall or stumble, so they do all that's within their power to see you make it.

90. Their "wounds" in the way of speaking up if something is wrong or off track or the wrong attitude are signs and indications of true friend­ship. Their standing up for Me and My Word and My truth and the way I'm moving is the very best gift they can give you, because they're extending the hand not only of true friendship but of truth.

91. Real friendship is built on being honest, on helping each other to do the right things according to the standard, the Word‚ the basic principles of being a Christian. You can't just let your friend do anything he wants if you know it's not right, and if you have the mistaken idea that this is showing him your loyalty as a friend, then your thinking is way off.

92. Real loyalty is being loyal to what's right, not who's right. If you're not able to stand up for what's right amongst your friends, then you're really doing them a disfavor. You're not being loyal at all because you're allowing them to be hurt and to go astray; you're allowing their walk with Me to be hurt; you're allowing their relationship with others to suffer—all because you don't have enough sense of true loyalty to your friends to speak up for the truth.

93. You might think, "Well, if I say something to my friends to correct them‚ or I won't go along with something they want to do because I know it's not right, then they'll get mad at me and they won't want to be my friend." They might get mad at you temporarily, but when the crunch comes and when they really need a friend who they know will be honest with them and tell them the truth‚ when they're faced with a big decision or are going through a big battle, you're the one they'll want to come to for counsel and help because they know you're going to be honest with them and tell them the truth.

94. Sometimes the truth hurts, but a real friend is someone who loves you and cares enough about you to be honest. Real friends don't want to see each other doing the wrong things and ending up getting hurt, hurting others, or going astray. It's wrong to expect your friends to never speak up about wrongdoing‚ and if they do, to feel that they're not being loyal to you. The reason your friends speak up to you is because they love you and they don't want you to get into something that's going to cause a problem. You should be very thankful to have such loyal friends who are willing to risk a little of your anger and the possibility that you would be upset with them for a little while, because they know it's worth it in the long run.

95. Loyal friends are those who want to see you make it‚ who want to see you progressing and happy in your service to Me. Be thankful for friends who are willing to uphold the standard and be honest with you. Value them, for they have real love for you.

96. Those are the kinds of friends you'll be able to count on in the days to come. They'll walk and fight proudly alongside you, and even lay down their life for you if need be. This is where the truth that "one can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight" can really be glorified and manifested—in the bonds of friendship I give to you, My brides. (End of message from Jesus)

Intimidated?

Q:

97. I have a dear friend who's very sharp intellectually, but sometimes his view on things is not Word-based. How can I stand up for my convictions more so that I can be a help and a strength as his friend? Sometimes I feel intimidated by his more logical view of things.

Dad:

98. I know you want to do the right thing, Son. I know you want to stand up for what you know to be right, and I also see that you don't want to come across self-righteously or proud. It's a difficult balance to find, but the secret is in shar­ing everything in a spirit of humility. You can humbly say, "Sorry, I don't have an ex­plan­ation for that; all I know is that the Lord said it, so we've got to do it." Sometimes it's going to come down to just having to do it even if you don't understand why. You may just have to tell him, "I'm sorry, I'm not that smart. I'm not a real brainy and intellectual person, but I do know that this is the right thing to do because that's what the Lord has told us to do." You need to start standing up and doing it simply because you know it's right.

99. It's not going to be easy for you, because your natural reaction most of the time will be to not rock the boat with your friends‚ to not bring up points of controversy, to not want to "spoil the fun," so to speak, or whatever the case may be. But though this will probably be your natural reaction most of the time‚ that doesn't mean that it has to be that way. The Lord can turn your natural reaction into something supernatural. If you're open and you want it with all of your heart, then He'll help your reactions to be what He wants them to be—standing up for the Word, the ways of the spirit, shepherding, using the new weapons, etc.

100. There's a fine line between standing up for your convictions and getting self-righteous. But if you're faithful to ask the Lord‚ and if you're desperately seeking Him to do what He wants you to do and say what He wants you to say, then He'll help you.

101. Sometimes the hardest people to stand up to are the ones that you're closest to. You value their friendship so much and you love them so much that you're scared of losing them. But in the end what really counts and what really pleases the Lord is not how many friends you have but how faith­ful and loyal you are to Him and His Word.

102. It's not easy, but if you can't even stand up to your friends, how are you going to stand up to your enemies one day when they come in full force? If you're backwatering and sidestepping now, you're going to be completely swamped and squelched by the raging torrents of the lies of the Devil in some of our enemies.

103. When an attitude is brought up that you know from the Word and from the checks the Lord gives you is wrong, you need to speak up! Where are your convictions? Do you really believe these things? If you really believe the Word is right and you want to live it and obey it, how come you back down so quickly when someone challenges you on it? Isn't it about time you stood up for what you know is right?

104. You really need to, because it's not just your spiritual life that's at stake, it's theirs too. Any time the Lord checks you about something and you don't do something about it, you're compro­mising. Do you want to be responsible for them failing the Lord? Do you want to be responsible for giving way to the Enemy in their lives? If not, then you'd better start doing something about it.

105. Are you going to fail the Lord and fail me and the Family and even fail your friends because you're not willing to tell them the truth when they need it? Are you going to get up Here and have to say‚ "I'm so sorry I compromised, but I couldn't afford to lose their friendship"?

106. I'd much rather see you keep the standard than be bosom buddies with someone and both of you go downhill together. I know it's hard to lose friends, but if you must choose between the two—either staying true to the Lord and possibly losing a friendship, or staying true to your friendship and slipping farther away from the Lord—I know that you'd choose the first option, that of staying close to the Lord and following His ways, even if at times it's to your own hurt.

107. Friendships built with fleshly building blocks can only last so long and can only go so far. When you rely on fun and games together, fellowship, moral support, loyalty to each other, and various other things‚ you'll find that there'll probably come a time when your friendship will reach a point of stagnation; things might turn sour‚ and you won't be able to grow any closer together. But when you have your priorities straight and each one involved in a friendship is putting the Lord first and foremost, then the spiritual building blocks of that friendship are much stronger and your friendship will last and continue growing more each day.

108. The Lord is ultimately the One Who brings friends together and keeps friends together. He's the glue that holds you together, and He's the One Who makes a friendship fruitful and prosperous. Without Him‚ things go wrong, problems occur‚ and a friendship can be more of a hindrance than a blessing. That's why you have to keep the Lord in first place at all times, and not only keep Him first, but allow Him to work in your lives—which may even mean sharing certain things with your shepherds about your friends, or standing up for something that you know is right from the Word, simply because you love them and you want to help them.

109. The key is humility. You'll have to ask the Lord for that every time. Whenever He checks you about something, you'll need to mention it meekly and humbly. That's the only right spirit. It doesn't matter who's right; it's what's right that counts! So be a faithful messenger. Okay? I love you! (End of message from Dad.)

Soul Mates in Heaven

Q:

110. Do we have soul mates in Heaven? Is there someone there we're ordained to spend eternity with? And how does that fit in with the lovers or mates we have here and now‚ or will have in the future?

Jesus:

111. Eternity is quite in­com­pre­hensible to man. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to figure it out. It's like trying to figure out where God came from‚ how old He is, and how long He'll last. The simple answer is that He always was and always will be, and if you try to understand exactly what that means, you'll get nowhere.

112. The reason I've explained relatively little about Heaven and relationships in the spirit world, other than what I've revealed in the Bible and through your Father David, is because these things are difficult for you to understand right now. You are still of the earth‚ earthly, and these are Heavenly matters. Nevertheless, I will grant you a glimpse into the glories and wonders of love and love relationships in Heaven. And when you arrive in My Kingdom, you will see how much more wonderful the reality is than a mere glimpse. For I am love, and eternity will be filled with love that grows deeper and more passionate and fulfilling!

113. I make provision for you to have friends, family, lovers and mates because I know that you need such relationships. You'll always need others, even after you've graduated from this life and received your new body. However, once you've stepped over the line into the realm of the spirit, you'll be able to better comprehend what I've said—there is no need to marry or be given in marriage, because you will fully understand we're all married to one another, and this will fulfill your need in breathtaking ways.

114. You will need others, but you will not always specifically need certain individuals. You'll have friends and lovers in Heaven, but you will not always have only one or two. With time you'll develop thousands and even millions of love relationships and very close friendships, as I see fit. And the wonderful thing is that you'll never be too far from any of them, for you'll be able to travel at the speed of thought. Your joy will only multiply, and as a result your life will be magnificently enriched. You will have a soul mate indeed—not just one, but many! You will have multitudes of soul mates from those who have passed through the pearly gates, or will yet do so.

115. It's difficult for you to understand what it's like to have so many close friends and lovers, whom you will accumulate during the passing of time. You can't fully understand the beauty of this yet. You can see a semblance of this in the friends that you have around you‚ or the lovers you've had in the past that are still dear to your heart, but the similarities are slight. You can compare Heavenly relationships to earthly ones to a certain degree, but there comes a point when you simply have to trust—believing because I have said so—that the Heavenly way will be far more thrilling and satisfying than the earthly way.

116. I know your earthly lovers and spouses are very dear to you, and because of this I have lovingly prepared your corner of Heaven to make Heavenly life easier for you to adjust to. In some cases, after coming to this Heavenly place you may spend hundreds of years, or even the entire Millennium and beyond, with your earthly lover or lovers and companions. But I'm not limited to happen­ings on Earth, and in some cases I will give you new lovers or additional lovers and companions. Or, if you did not have earthly lovers and spouses, then I will fill your needs in Heaven, beyond your wildest dreams! Take heart and trust Me. When the time comes it will make so much sense‚ because you'll better understand the workings of My Spirit and the vastness of love.

117. No one is destined to spend eternity with only one particular soul. I am not limited to the mind of man and your earthly desires. It is My great pleasure to make you happy and fulfilled—not only now, but for eternity. That means that you can count on your life always changing for the better.

118. Although your time on this Earth is very significant and what you learn here will stick with you, there's still much more to come! I have bigger and greater plans for you in the future. Your Heavenly mansion, the way you look‚ and some of the way you think is subject to change, for you'll live forever and I am by no means stuck in a rut. The Earth was made only around 6,000 years ago‚ and I was certainly alive before then. My Father and I were moving and changing the universe in spectacular and meaningful ways‚ and will continue to do so, for it pleases Me to show My love to My creations by making them happy.

119. Even sex in Heaven can only be partially compared to sex on Earth, for there are distinct differences. You'll be attracted to someone of the opposite sex much more by personality and spiritual depth than you are now. While that is true to an extent today, the flesh still weighs heavily, and many times mortal man is affected emotionally by physical beauty. In Heaven you'll appreciate the beauty of My creation without being held back by man's shallow and often misleading concepts of beauty, as advertised on TV and in the movies. You'll finally appreciate beauty for what it is, in a pure and loving way.

120. But even when you become attracted and fall in love, it will not feel the same as it does on Earth. Your emotions will not run away with you to the point of blindness, for you'll understand that you're all married together. I will allow you to feel special feelings for certain individuals, and certainly for those you are close to on Earth. Those special feelings will continue and be magnified. But at the same time, you will also love others with a super­natural passion and warmth. It's beautiful, but again‚ not fully comprehensible by the mind of man.

121. Don't be sad, thinking that you'll have to leave the ones you love so dearly on this Earth‚ or that you'll become more distant from them, for I will allow you to be with them as long as your heart desires. But don't put Me in an earthly box‚ thinking that life in the realm of the spirit will always be so similar to life on Earth. It will be in some ways, but there is also much new to be discovered and explored. I have so much to teach you, so much to share with you, so many amazing spiritual truths that I want you to partake of and enjoy! You have so much to look forward to! Even if you can't understand it all now with your finite, earthbound minds‚ rest assured that in My love I have prepared it perfectly, and it will make you very, very happy! (End of message from Jesus.)