FEAST 2002

By MariaMaria #596 CM/FM 3378 10/01

Dearest Family,

1. This is a very special time as we all unite together before our Lord and Lover to say our vows of surrender to Him. Peter and I and those in our Home and other WS units are joining you in spirit, and all your mates and loved ones and co-workers in the Family around the world are also participating in this special time. We're uniting as one, as our Husband's yielded Bride, and we're pledging to follow more closely, yield more fully, and let Him possess us more completely than ever before.

2. (Jesus speaking:) My brides, I ask each of you now to come and stand before Me and make your declaration and your vows before Me. I am asking you to forsake your own will and ways‚ your worldliness or carnal thinking, and to take a clear-cut stand for Me.

3. To wind up this Feast 2002, after all is said, after you have read and absorbed My Words‚ there must be a decision, a declaration‚ a statement of vows. I've made the conditions clear. I promise you great and awesome power such as has not been demonstrated on Earth before. I lay before you the awesome reality of performing greater works. But in order to draw on this power and to utilize these benefits, there must be a great forsaking, a maximum yielding, a yielding of that which is hardest to yield—your own thoughts, your own ideas, your own mind. I promise to give you My mind, My thoughts‚ My wisdom, My insight, My miracle-working power—yet it comes with a price, it comes with a forsaking‚ it comes with an unequivocal yielding. It comes by laying aside the carnal, the worldly, the earthly‚ and grasping tight to the keys, the spiritual, the Heavenly, the true power.

4. This is a time to come and lay down before Me anything and everything that would hold you back from allowing Me to possess you more fully and completely. It need not be a grand or elaborate event, for it is simply a time for each of you to come before Me in humility and sincerity to declare plainly where you stand. This is a time to declare your rejection of that which is worldly, and to take the stand to more fully put on My mind and receive that which is Heavenly. Many times, My loves, I have called you to take these steps—to forsake the world. Yet never before have I asked you to receive Me so fully‚ to allow Me full possession such as will be needed in these Last Days.

5. The nature and tone of this time together is one of sobriety, yet one of intense joy—for there is no greater satisfaction and depth of happi­ness than knowing you are taking a stand to open yourself up and receive Me and allow Me to possess you. There is no greater joy and satisfaction than knowing you are fulfilling the destiny to which you are called.

6. This ceremony is a time to forsake all, to lay before Me any and all things that would hinder you from allowing Me full sway in your heart, spirit, mind and thoughts. It is a time to make a firm commitment to reject the carnal, and to vow to put on My mind, to allow Me full possession‚ to reject the things of the Earth and to put on the things of Heaven. It is a time when you put on My mind and My thoughts.

7. Consider the messages I have given for this Feast, coupled with the "Conviction vs. Compro­mise" series that has prepared the way for this Feast 2002. Consider the signs of the times in which you are now living, the events of the Endtime that are already unfolding around you. Consider the require­ments I have set as well as the promises I have given:

8. • I have called you, My Family, to fully commit to Me, to be My called-out, radical‚ true disciples—believers and doers of the doctrine that I have entrusted to the children of David. I'm calling you to forsake all the things of the world and follow Me, to live My Law of Love, to be My showcase to the world, to carry My light and truth to the nations, to stand up for truth and defy all evil and the Antichrist himself in these Last Days.

9. • I have explained the need to focus on My power, to use the keys I have put at your command. This gift and the power of the keys I have given you are not to be used for show. It is not for self-glory. Nor is it something that you use only when you wish, picking and choosing among situations when you decide to put the keys to work. They are My gift to you, to be used under My guidance, for the good of all. It is your obligation to use the keys. It is your duty to use this power. This gift makes you servants of others.

10. • You are to do the great exploits of which it is written. If My power is to be made manifest in you in all the ways I have spoken, I must possess you more fully. I must have control of your heart‚ spirit, mind, thoughts, and actions. It is through Me possessing you that these things will come to pass.

11. • The great battlefield is the mind; this is where Satan seeks entrance‚ and likewise, it is through the mind that I also am able to control you. I want to give you My mind and thoughts in greater degree. I want to enhance your gift of Heavenly thought power. If I am to possess you, if you are to hone this gift of Heavenly thought power, you must yield your mind to Me. You must put on My mind. You can only do this by putting off the carnal, by rejecting worldly, carnal thoughts and ways. You must put on My mind and let My thoughts rule you.

12. • You must make the decision to forsake all. This means forsaking not only the material, but also yielding to Me the thing that is difficult to yield, the thing that Satan desires to control—your mind and thoughts, your own ideas, your own intellect.

13. • I'm asking you to give Me your time. I've asked you to carefully review what you spend your time doing. I do not want you to "check out" of My Spirit even in your times of relaxation. I want you to use every precious mo­ment of your time to draw close to Me, to be channels of My thoughts and My mind in all you do. I want you to spend your time delving into the things of the spirit over the things of the flesh.

14. • Though you are in the world, I do not want you to be of the world. This you do by taking time with Me and My Word to cleanse yourself when you've been exposed to the things of the world. I am asking you to filter all things through Me, to measure everything against the yardstick of My Word, to take time regularly to be cleansed through prayer, communion with Me, and seeking Me about specifics that stick in your mind when you've had to delve into worldly matters. I want you to persevere to more fully live in the world of the spirit, so you can experience the things of the spirit, the joys and the satisfactions I long to give you, so I can accomplish My purpose in these Last Days.

15. I have led you, as a Family, one step at a time. I have given you ample opportunity to prepare for these days. In recent years I have led you to recommitment. I led you to a day of renewal where you had opportunity to shed the weights and things that held you down, and you renewed your vows of dedication to Me. At the onset of the era of action, I consecrated you and gave you a new anointing. I then revealed to you that for you there are no impossibilities, and I put at your disposal the power to rise above. I put the keys to the Kingdom in your hands. [See "The Day of Renewal" from Feast '98, ML #3164, GN 770; "Feast 2000 Consecration Ceremony," ML #3269‚ GN 871; The Feast 2001 Letters: "Nothing Is Impossible‚" "Rise Above‚" and "The Keys to the Kingdom," ML #3316-18, GN 920-22.]

16. I have shared My Own personal lessons with you, revealed to you deep truths and secrets of My Spirit, and personally instructed and trained you. I have told you the meaning of possessing the keys, revealed to you the great power they hold, as well as divulged to you the obligation you are under as holders of these keys and the responsibility this places upon your shoulders. I have given you the challenge and called you to unwavering conviction. I have called upon you to forsake all compromise in your lives. I am leading you and taking you further along day by day.

17. During this Feast 2002‚ I presented you with yet greater truths and more gifts. I have presented you with a fundamental key—that of focusing on the power. I have revealed to you the great importance of and My deep longing and great need to more fully possess you. I put forth the plea to you to put on My mind, to allow My thoughts to be your thoughts. I'm offering you My Heavenly thought power. I clearly state to you that in order to receive this gift you must forsake the carnal and worldly; you must give Me your full attention, your mind and thoughts; you must allow Me to possess you.

18. I now call each one of you to come before Me. It is a time to declare plainly your willingness to put off the carnal, the worldly, the earthly, and to put on the Heavenly, to receive Me, to put on My mind, to let My thoughts rule you, move you, and possess you.

19. There will be times when you will be tested. There may be times when you will stumble. Yet if the heart is right, if your choice is clear, though you stumble‚ you will not fall, for I will not let you. Because of your decision to want to do what I ask, I will be here to catch you and to set you upright, that you might continue ­moving forward, being used of Me and fulfilling My will.

20. The decision, the desire, the yielding is what I ask. All you have to do is yield and I will do all the rest. You have made many prior vows to Me, many pledges of commitment to Me‚ and all these have been part of the process, part of your growth and advancement. You have been tried and tested. But the years of your novitiate are past. Now I call upon you to take further steps, to make your calling and election sure by taking these vows of utmost forsaking and yielding—vows to allow Me full possession, vows to forsake that which is carnal—in your heart, as well as in your mind, spirit and actions.

21. I call you to more fully put on the mind of God. I call you to allow Me to transform your minds. I call you to possession. This is the only way I will be able to use you in these Last Days to do greater works, to defy evil, to be witnesses of My true Words in the Time of the End; I must have full control.

22. I now call each one of you forward to stand before Me. Each of you must be fully persuaded in your own heart and mind. As you take these vows and make clear your stand‚ so I confirm My promises to you. Remember, as you take these vows to surrender all, to give Me all, I in return give you My all. There is nothing I will withhold from you; not one of My promises will fail. When you give Me your all, then all the excellency of My power will be seen in you. The world will know you walk in close step with Me.

23. (Vision:) I see the Lord. He's standing alone, but He's beckoning someone to come before Him. One of His brides enters the room. This is very personal, between the Lord and the individual; yet at the same time it seems public, or something that is to be a testimony to others. It's not meant to be hidden. I feel the presence of many onlookers, a group of people witnessing this event. Maybe they're spirit helpers or earthly witnesses or both. I can't see them, but I know they're there.

24. The setting is one of simplicity. All I can see is the Lord and one individual standing before Him. This is a reminder that our decisions are between us and Jesus. He is all we need. He alone is enough. He is everything.

25. The bride walks in and goes directly to stand before her Husband. First they greet with a warm hug, but then she drops to her knees and takes His hand and kisses it.

26. This person is very reverent with the Lord, and she holds the Lord's hand clasped in both of her hands as if she's holding on for dear life. She kisses Jesus' hand ardently. She seems very‚ very thankful and indebted for something.

27. Now, as she's kneeling on both knees be­fore the Lord, she seems to be making a statement, a declaration of some sort, which she's reading from a small scroll. She's making a declaration before the Lord and it's something she wants to be bound to. She wants it to go on the record; she wants to make it official.

28. After the bride finishes proclaiming her vows to her Bridegroom, He reaches down to lift her up. They're standing, and Jesus puts both His hands on her shoulders.

29. He looks directly into her eyes, and there is an incredible, magnificent stream of light that goes from His eyes right into her eyes. It's a powerful beam of light. It's somewhat similar to the beam of light that is generated when the keys turned into swords. It looks like bright white light, yet it seems to reflect beautiful color too, and it's all glowing and shimmering—it's just gorgeous, warm and soothing. It's incredibly beautiful. My words of description can't do the subject justice.

30. This flow of light from Jesus to His bride seems to have her spellbound, and the Lord is spellbound too. Both of them are absolutely mes­merized; they are completely enthralled with each other. They both seem locked in a trance, immersed in this look of love. They're engulfed by each other, taken by each other. It's so beautiful‚ so intense.

31. The light from the Lord's eyes to His bride is like nothing earthly, that's for sure. It's outstand­ing! It draws His bride into Him. It seems to strengthen their connection somehow—it strengthens their love bonds‚ takes their love to a different level altogether‚ and the impression I have is that it's impenetrable.

32. The Lord puts His arms on His bride's shoulders, and as He beams this amazing look of love from His eyes to hers, He is imparting such love to her, and He says, "You will never, ever regret giving your all to Me." His words are so definite, so sure. The tone is loving and tender and sure, and there's no disputing the fact.

33. Now the Lord is pulling His bride closer to give her a full embrace. As Jesus is embracing His bride, He enters right into her body. He melts right into His bride's body and they become one. The closest thing I can think to describe it is a little like those ghost movies, where the spirit goes right into the person's body. But this is beautiful—it's so, so beautiful!

34. They melt right into each other and become one! They merge. They explode in a Heavenly rapturous orgasm together. The bride starts to glow, and the look on her face is serene and absolutely beautiful. It's a look of total satisfaction. The bride is aglow—ravishing, exceptionally gorgeous!

35. Now, I hear the Lord's words again, echoing in my ears. Over and over He's saying, "You will never, ever regret giving your all, your everything to Me!" (End of vision.)

36. (Jesus speaking: ) I have allowed you, My dearest loves, to see the reality of what taking these vows for Me means. I have shown you this in pictures that you can understand. As you give yourselves to Me‚ as you take these vows of utter yielding and forsaking, I will more fully possess you, and we will be one. I will come into you and you will know greater ecstasies; you will experience greater excitement and sensations of My Spirit; I will take you to new realms, to discover new horizons and reach higher heights than you have ever known.

37. I call each of you, My brides, before Me to state your vows. These vows are between you and Me—they must come from the depths of your heart and from your desire to do My will. Though your brethren and mates may witness, though those from the Heavenly realm do witness, it is a personal affair between you and Me.

38. The fruit of this decision will not be hidden. When I more fully possess you, it will be mani­fested to others; there will be no hiding it, for you will know more fully My mind and thoughts. I will be more clearly seen in you and through you. My Spirit in you will bear witness that I am your intimate Lover and that we are one. My greater power will work in you, and you will do great things.

39. You have seen what I desire—to have you, to more fully possess you, to mesmerize you, to enthrall, to spellbind you with My Spirit, so that I might show you how deeply and completely I love you, so that together we can defy all evil and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth! You must have Me fully within you if you are to fulfill your destiny. You must be completely possessed by Me.

40. I want you, My brides. I want to give you all I've got. I want to fill you with My love to greater satisfaction. You will never, ever regret allowing Me full possession, for this is the ultimate! There is no greater satisfaction, no greater love than the love I wish to lavish upon you when you say yes to Me. I bid you come. Come and let us consummate our love. You have vowed a vow of utter surrender, love and devotion‚ so let Me possess you now. (End of mess­age from Jesus.)

41. (Mama:) We've now arrived at the very special moment when we can each say our vows of surrender to our Husband, granting Him full possession. But first, as mentioned in the introduction to this year's Feast, the children can say their prayers, which follow. The Lord said: "In most cases it would probably be best to have the children go first‚ followed by the teens, and then the adults. However, if the children are shy and would feel awkward starting, it would be good for one of the parents to go first, and then the children, teens, and lastly the rest of the adults."

42. Another alternative‚ as was mentioned in "The Family Feast Celebration 2002," is for the children to say their prayers with their parents in a separate little ceremony at another time. If you wish, you could read "Thank You for the Keys" (MLK #144) with the children on the afternoon or evening of January 13, or the following morning. They could pray their prayers to the Lord then. (If the children are coming to the ceremony, whether or not they take part by praying their prayer at that time‚ it would help if they read the explanation about this ceremony in MLK #144 beforehand to help them understand what is taking place.)

Prayer for the children to pray:

43. See "Thank You for the Keys‚" MLK #144, for the children's prayer.

Prayer for junior teens and JETTs to pray:

44. Dear Jesus‚ I love You and thank You for loving me. Thank You for how I've been able to grow up in the Family and for the opportunity to have these great spiritual riches.

45. I want to give You my best and to become the disciple You want me to be. Please help me to grow in spirit and to put You first in my life. I ask that You help me not to be pulled down by worldliness, but to instead have a stronger desire for You. I want Your ways to grow in my heart. Please help me stay free of worldly ways and attitudes.

46. Give me the strength to make the changes You are asking of me and of the Family. Help me to learn to use the keys of the Kingdom, to become experienced in their use‚ and to call on their power to do the impossible.

47. I want to be Yours, dear Jesus, and to continue to grow in Your teaching and become more like You. Help me to learn to focus on the power, to put on Your mind, to receive and accept Your thoughts as my own. I call on the power of the keys to help me grow in the gift of Heavenly thought power. I reach out to the keys for their power to give me the strength I need to stay faithful to You each day.

48. Help me to grow in the area of being Your servant, and a servant of others‚ my dear Friend and Shepherd.

Prayer for the senior teens to pray:

49. Dearest Jesus, I love You and need You so much. Thank You for choosing me, for allowing me the privilege of serving You in the Family. I know that only You can give me strength for each day and help me to learn and grow into the disciple of Your choosing.

50. I want to become all that You want me to be, dear Jesus. Help me to surrender my own will to You each day, so that You can give me Your will, Your highest and best. I want the best. Each day that passes I want to become more of a full-time disciple, a true spiritual revolutionary. I don't want to be bogged down in the world and the temporal things that it has to offer. Please free me from the things of the world and give me the desire to live completely for You.

51. Help me to have the strength to make the changes You are asking of me and of the Family. Help me to learn how to use the keys of Your Kingdom frequently, every day‚ to become experienced in their use, and to call on their power to do the impossible.

52. I am Yours, dear Jesus, and my life belongs to You. Help me to remember that each day as I make my decisions. I want to learn to make the decisions that will please You and draw me closer to You.

53. Help me learn to focus on the power, to put on Your mind, to receive Your thoughts and make them my own. I call on the power of the keys to help me hone the gift of Heavenly thought power. I reach out to the keys for their power to give me the strength I need to stay faithful to You each day. Help me become a servant of others, a servant of You and Your will, my King and Husband.

Advice to the adults about the vows:

54. Please remember that these vows are a very personal commitment. It's between you and Jesus. There are others around—your mates and loved ones are your witnesses—but the vows you are about to pledge are from your heart to your Bridegroom, the King of kings. Forget about everyone around you‚ and focus on your darling Love, the One Who is there with you, standing before you, ready to receive you and your love, and in return to more fully possess you‚ to give you more than you could have ever dreamed of. This is a defining moment, my dear loves! The Lord has been preparing you for this for years. Our Husband knows that this is the next step we need to take, that we need this greater commitment and are ready for it. We need to be fully possessed by Him. We also need the greater gifts and anointing that come with this full commitment, this full possession. He has lovingly and gently prepared each of us for this day, and now is the time to make it official.

55. You might feel quite incapable of this commitment or unsure if you can follow through with all it means. But if you really want it in your heart, please don't let the Enemy's doubts or fears hold you back. This miracle‚ this full possession and the greater power and anointing that come with it, is a gift our Husband has promised to us, His intimate brides. Reach out and take it if you truly want it‚ and it's yours! Call on the power of the keys for those things that you feel will be difficult or even impossible for you. Call on the keys even for the power to step forward to say these vows; and then simply trust and believe that our wonderful Husband will give you the strength and grace and all that you need to fulfill your part.

56. It's also important to remember that this is a special opportunity in the spirit. As the Lord said in the first GN of this Feast‚ the very great rewards and blessings are for those who give Him everything without hesitation. Those who follow later will also receive a measure of the anointing, but this is a one–time opportunity in the spirit to fully enter in and partake without hesitation, and thus receive all that our dear Love has to give!

57. Please also remember that this is purely voluntary. It's between you and Jesus, so please don't worry about what others are thinking‚ or what they will think of you. If you want this full possession, this full commitment, step up now and ask for it, and you'll get it! But if you aren't ready or don't want it, don't feel forced or pressured to make these vows just because everyone else is. That would completely defeat the purpose. So please only say these words if you really want the full possession and complete surrender that you're asking for in these vows.

58. And one last point: No matter how you feel, as you say these words to your dear Husband with your whole heart, He will come in! Of course, it will be a daily choice to continue to reject the things of the world and put on His mind, and there will be tests of yieldedness and many more lessons to come. But don't let the Enemy convince you that you weren't desperate enough or that the Lord didn't answer. Jesus wants to fill you with His love so much more than you could ever imagine. He's right here with you‚ ready and waiting!

(As He explained in "The Family Feast Celebra­tion 2002," ML #3373, in large Homes you could say this vow out loud in unison, with each person fully focusing on Jesus. In smaller Homes you might want to each say it in turn to the Lord, one after the other. Afterwards there will be a time of receiving the Lord's vows and promises to each individual bride.)

Vow from you‚ His bride, to Jesus:

59. I, ______________, thank You, adore You, and praise You, Jesus, for choosing me. I know that in my own self I am nothing, and that if anything good comes of my life and service for You, it is only Your grace and strength working through me. And this, dear Love, only proves Your miracle-working power.

60. I stand before You, my Husband and King, and lay at Your feet my own will‚ my own thoughts and ideas, my own self, as well as any worldly ways and carnal thinking. I give You back the life I owe, the life that is rightfully Yours. I present my body, my spirit, and my mind before You, a living sacrifice. I surrender all to You. Take me, possess me‚ and use me as You will. I only want You, Jesus. I want You to live, think‚ and move in me. I want to put on Your mind and only be ruled by Your thoughts. I thank You that You bought and paid for me with a price. I choose to glorify You in my body‚ my heart, my spirit, my mind, and in all I do.

61. By Your grace and with the power of the keys that You have entrusted to me, I take these vows of surrender, of utmost forsaking. I yield to You my mind, my thoughts, my everything. I vow to be Your devoted disciple, to reject worldly and carnal thoughts and ways‚ to be neither a friend of the world nor to love the world. I care not to be yoked with unbelievers, to fellowship with unrighteousness, to immerse myself in worldly matters. I answer Your call to be separate, to reprove the works of darkness‚ to not conform to the world, but to be transformed through the renewing of my mind.

62. I claim the power of the keys of en­lightenment as I put on the mind of God. By the power of the keys, I ask that You help me focus on their power, to stay yielded to You in all I say and do. I call on the keys of the Kingdom to help me hone the gift of Heavenly thought power. I claim the keys of strength and power to help me stay faithful to the responsibility You have placed on my shoulders, to use the keys to serve ­others and to accomplish Your will in these Last Days. (End of vow.)

63. (Jesus speaking: ) Come, My love. Receive Me, and we will be one. You will never, ever regret giving your all, your everything to Me. Open wide now, and take Me‚ for I come into you. I answer every word of your prayer. With great pleasure I will fulfill the requests of your heart. I accept your commitment, your vows of surrender. Open your channel now and receive the personal Words I have for you, My vows of love and commitment to you. (End of message from Jesus.)

Text box:

Receiving the Lord's Words

From "The Family Feast Celebration 2002," GN 970:

(Jesus speaking:) In cases where the Home is very small‚ after each bride says their vows, the Home members can stop and hear personal Words from Me for that bride. Another channel may receive these words, one channel for each bride after they say their vows—much like you do when someone asks for united prayer.

If the vows are recited simultaneously, as in the case of larger Homes, then afterwards a few channels can receive Words for the group, My personalized Words for your Home and situation. However, these Words are to prime the pump, and in this case I ask that each bride then go to a room that offers some privacy where they can individually receive personal Words from Me, immediately after the ceremony. Another option for larger Homes is to break into smaller groups of 2 to 4 people and receive words from Me for each other.

Or, if Homes prefer to assign each member of the Home to hear from Me for another member, they may do this instead. In other words, everyone would hear from Me for someone else rather than getting a message for themselves. The important thing is that I want to give personal Words to each of My brides.

If someone doesn't have the gift of prophecy, he or she can team up with someone who does. If you have Active members attending the meeting, they can either join a team that is hearing from Me or they can help with the children, however you feel led. Each situation is different, so Home team­works should seek My leading on what is the best arrangement for their particular situation. (ML #3373:57-60).

64. (Mama:) After you have each received your personal Words from our Heavenly Bridegroom, then it's time for the next part of our meeting—praise, songs of commitment, fellowship and together­ness with our mates and our wonderful Husband!

65. I love you, dear Family, and I'm thrilled with what is in store for us as we follow closer than ever before. Even as world conditions worsen and things get more difficult physically, our lives will continue to grow fuller and more complete through the anointing, protection, miracles and satisfaction of our Husband. He will never fail to equip us with what we need, before we need it. We have so much to look forward to, and plenty to keep us busy until He comes!

With praise and thankfulness to our terrific Husband,

Mama

(End of file.)