Peter
Summary of Summit 2003
By Peter A.CM/FM 3468 10/03
Dearest Family,
1. God bless you! Mama and I love each of you so much‚ and we have been keeping you in our daily prayers. These past months have been big ones for us, as we're sure they have been for you too, as the Lord leads and guides us all in our growing into the wholehearted disciples and missionaries that He's called us to be. Your service for the Lord is priceless, and although we know the Enemy fights it and you on a daily basis, yet we thrill to the testimonies that are coming in of the tremendous victories being won, both in your personal lives and in the professional missionary works of your Homes and areas.
2. "When you call on the power of the keys, you are an unbeatable force! Calling on the power of the keys is the road to strength‚ power, victory, and new life!"
3. The Lord certainly set us on a journey which we didn't know the end of when He instructed us nearly a year ago to focus on Brazil and invest time, counsel, and desperate prayer into the needs of the Family in that very potential field. The steps our Guide has led us to take have been new and radical, even "shocking," as some of you have expressed in the reactions you've sent us, and definitely sobering and stirring for each of us.
4. Let me reassure you that I and all of us in WS have also done much soul-searching regarding our own personal discipleship and our obedience to the commission the Lord has given us in our specific callings and ministries. If, after reading the recent GNs regarding Brazil and others such as "Are You a Disciple?" you have felt that you have fallen short, then you share this conviction with many others, we in WS included. In fact, when all is said and done, the scripture "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" is an accurate description of how each of us has fared in regards to our full obedience to the Lord's Words of the past years.
5. The Lord has been very patient, merciful and loving in His correction and guidance of us, as well as firm and definite. It has been our fervent and desperate prayer to hold on to the crown and calling and destiny He's called the Family to, and this has been the main focus of our prayers, time, counsels and work over the past months.
Summit 2003 Held in Mexico
6. The Lord led us to plan for Summit and International Board meetings during October 2003, far in advance of my first trip to Brazil. The Lord provided a beautiful site in Mexico where Mama and I met with the 33 COs, 10 non-CO International Board members‚ 22 other attendees (VSs and others)‚ along with 11 International Board members from WS. We were together for a month of prayer, infilling from the Word, and rousing times of praise and expressing our thankfulness to our wonderful Husband for His many blessings and supernatural guidance. It was also a time of beautiful and strengthening fellowship, desperate prayer, counsel, and hearing from the Lord!
7. Each Summit has been unique in the emphasis, purpose, and goals the Lord has given us‚ and this one was different than the others in many respects. I'll share with you some excerpts of one of the keynote prophecies He gave to the attendees, which will help you to understand the tone and nature of the meetings, and the call to arms that it was for us all.
8. (Jesus:) My loves, I know you really deserve a time of reprieve, rest, and strengthening through surcease from the battle. I would give such a time, if it were possible. It would bring Me great joy to allow you to lay down your weapons and simply rest. But that time is not now, for we are at the front lines, and the Enemy has raised his hand against you, against your children, and against all those you love. He even now charges; and the sight of his ferocity, the smell of his putrid breath and sweat must spur you on! There is nothing else to do but fight! There is no way back. There's no escape.
9. War is never pretty, it's never easy. It's kill or be killed. And you‚ My warriors, are at this minute in the thick of battle. I know sometimes it's hard to fathom that, and it's a word picture that is oft used and therefore rather familiar. Nonetheless, we have gone over the top, you are staring the Enemy right in the eyes, and there's no turning back. You either go forward, giving all, with all the strength, determination, and will that you can muster‚ or you lose. There's no in-between. There's no compromise.
10. I pray for you, My brides. I beseech My Father for you. I feel for you and know the frailty of your weak bodies and weary minds. I understand that you don't want to fight this war. You don't want to be on the front lines. You're too tired. I'm sorry. I feel for you.
11. But please know, darling loves‚ that through the power of the keys, the weapon of aggressive praise, determined importunate prayer, unfailing faith, open-minded counsel and seeking for solutions‚ you will be victorious! It's not in you. You can't do it, so don't be alarmed when you feel like‚ "Oh, dear God, I can't do this. I haven't got it in me!" Of course you haven't, you never have! You are My vessels, and the weaker and more empty you feel, the better.
12. Now, let's go to work! Let's get to it with eager anticipation, knowing that you will find good reward for your labors. (End of prophecy excerpt.)
13. (Peter:) Our wonderful Husband did indeed give us good rewards as we followed His guidance to think "outside of the box," let go of the past, and seek Him for His plans for the Family of the future. As you know‚ our Family is a living, changing, revoluting, ever-progressing move of the Lord's Spirit, and His prevision for the planning of the Summit/IB meetings was His next step in helping us to understand the new Family that He is bringing out of the old. He has led us to some radical changes‚ changes which we believe will be very welcome news to many of you—in fact, we believe many of you will find them exciting and thrilling, as have we!
More Explanation to Come
14. It will take us a few months to write up the explanation of these changes in a well-rounded and complete fashion, but Mama and I wanted to share the news with you of the Summit, and let you know that there is a lot in the works! The Lord is continuing to pull us forward, to build on the momentum and the stirring in each of our hearts that the Brazil GNs have caused‚ and to guide us to the next stage of our growth and preparation for fulfilling our roles in the future.
15. We know that many of you have reacted very positively to the challenging counsel which the Lord gave in the Brazil GNs, and have taken the correction, lessons, and conviction to heart and seriously sought the Lord as to how it applies to you. Mama and I commend and thank those of you who have done so, as we are sure it's come at a price, with sacrifice and forsakings. But I hope it will encourage you to know that if that's what you've done, and what you continue to do with each batch of the Lord's New Wine that He pours out, then you will be in a good position in a few months' time when we are able to explain to you in full the changes the Lord has for the Family. They won't be too much of a surprise‚ and you'll be ready for them and prepared in spirit.
16. The Lord is leading us to a restructuring of the Family that promises to bring with it wonderful fruit, forward movement, and lasting progress. Such changes are not easy, nor are they quick, but we believe that the Lord has given us a good plan and laid a strong foundation through prayer, counsel, claiming the keys, teamworking with our spirit helpers, and hearing from our Husband in prophecy.
17. In this GN‚ Mama and I want to give you a brief overview of some of the points that will be of interest to you and that are important for you to understand at this time. We wish we could explain everything in one shot, from A to Z, as then you'd have a clearer understanding of where we're headed and the Lord's vision for the future, but that's not possible, as the full plan that the Lord laid out for us is complex. We'll take this step-by-step, and as we all follow closely and do our best to follow in our Lover's path, He'll bring us into a fruitful, happy, productive future.
A Restructuring on the Horizon
18. The Lord has continued to lead us toward greater dedication and commitment to discipleship. That has been the thrust of much of the Word that has been published in recent years—not to mention‚ of course, the radical changes that He led to bring about in Brazil. I doubt, therefore, that many of you will be taken aback by the thought that the Family is to continue to move in the direction of a stronger discipleship standard and sample, as that is in line with the direction the Lord has led for quite some time now.
19. Before the Summit, Mama and I and our counselors spent many days in prayer and discussion to analyze the state of the Family and how we are progressing in the challenge to rid our ranks of the compromises that have so seriously weakened our sample, personal convictions, and fruitfulness. While there has been progress made since the publishing of the "Conviction versus Compromise" series‚ the Lord has made it very clear that more is needed to cleanse the Family of some of the main compromises that are still plaguing our ranks. We do not plan to take away everyone's CM or FM membership for a period of time, as was done in Brazil, but there is a restructuring in the works for 2004 that will help to strengthen the sample of the Family overall and boost the integrity of each circle of membership.
20. While seeking the Lord about the state of the Family, He showed us that a subtle attitude has crept into our mindsets that has become detrimental to our living the New Wine fully. Mama and I realize that this has not been anyone's deliberate intention‚ but an acceptance of doing the Charter "minimum" has caused the overall level of obedience to the Word to drop. This has resulted in an outcropping of other sins and weaknesses such as independence, selfishness, worldliness, resistance to counsel, unwillingness to be shepherded, etc. There is a widespread attitude that the Family leadership, whether at the CO, VS, or Home shepherd level, has no right to get into your personal life, and this, coupled with the fact that Family leadership has been reluctant to discipline and give the shepherding needed, has caused the standard on most fields to be much lower than the Lord intends. Things have slipped to the point that a very low "minimum" of obedience has become the norm, and thus the interpretation of the Charter and the application of the New Wine are skewed. We need to correct that.
21. The first steps to remedying this misguided mindset are to see how the Family arrived at this state, and to understand the relationship between the Charter and the New Wine. This is a subject that I explained to the Brazil Family in the second set of videos I made‚ addressing the reinstatement process for them. But it's not just the Brazil Family that has gotten some wrong ideas of how to apply the Charter and how the New Wine dovetails with the Charter; this is a prevalent trend worldwide, and it's a problem.
22. I want to include here an excerpt of a talk I gave at the Summit. This is a bit long‚ but it's important that you understand the concepts presented here so you'll know clearly what's expected of you and all of us.
Peter's Talk to COs and Summit Attendees
(Note: When this talk was given to the Summit attendees‚ many pages of confirming prophecies were also handed out. But because we want to get this GN to you right away, we are not publishing those prophecies at this time. We will, however, make many of them available to you in the later GNs that give the full explanation. Please understand, though, that the points in this talk were confirmed many times with the Lord in prophecy through various channels.)
23. We are at a crucial crossroads in our Family's history. We have numerous serious problems, which, if not solved‚ will destroy our usefulness to the Lord and will result in us becoming simply another lukewarm church. Solving these problems must be the priority of our time together, no matter how much of our time, effort, and energy it takes. We must put immediate emphasis and our full attention on finding the necessary solutions, because if we don't "fix" these problems with the Lord's wisdom and the revelation and insight of the keys‚ then all the rest of our board meetings and leadership training meetings will be irrelevant. We're fighting for the survival of the Family.
24. It's not news to you that the Family has serious problems, and in spite of all that the Lord, Mama and I, and you have done to try to remedy those problems in the past, the needed change has been too little and almost too late. We're in an emergency situation, and we must concentrate all of our focus and time on seeking the Lord, counseling, and finding the solutions that we know our Husband wants to give.
25. You have been following the Brazil situation, which the Lord has said is a test-tube case for the whole world. The Lord has taken some unconventional steps to solve the spiritual problems in Brazil, and it's borne good fruit. In the nine months we've been involved with trying to drastically raise the level of commitment and discipleship of the Brazil Family, it has become abundantly clear that Brazil is a microcosm of the worldwide Family—that the problems of Brazil are basically the same as the problems of the overall Family. The Family in Brazil isn't alone in their sins. Brazil is the proverbial "older brother" who got his spanking first. The process of administering this spanking has provided Mama and me and our counselors with insight and direction that applies to the whole world. Much of what we'll talk about in these next days builds on what the Lord did to start the process of change and victory with His "guinea pig" of Brazil.
26. There are major changes that must be made in order for the worldwide Family to survive, and it's our responsibility as the collective leadership of the Family to find out what those changes are, to put them in place‚ and to make sure they are implemented. We need to take a hard look at those problems and do whatever it takes to find and put into practice the Lord's solutions. We need all the power of the keys. We need the power of our key craft. We need our spirit helpers who will enhance our efforts. We need our weapon of praise to cut the Devil to the heart. We need miracles, solutions, answers, and practical applications of spiritual principles. We need open minds and fresh insight, so we can think "outside of the box" and let go of the past. We need to be yielded and hungry for the truth.
27. (Prayer:) Dear Husband, thank You that we're in this position—this position of great dependence on You—of so greatly needing Your help‚ answers, and supernatural guidance in this emergency situation we're faced with.
28. We call on the keys of yieldedness and desperation. You said, "Call on the keys of desperation, so that I can create in your minds and spirits a deep spiritual vacuum, hunger, and receptivity to Me, My Spirit, and My answers." We claim that key of desperation‚ Jesus, for each one of us. Renew in each of us the right spirit, and create in us a clean heart before You. We know that You love a vacuum; in fact, when we're desperate like this, that's when You can most freely work and move and perform in us in supernatural ways—ways that are beyond us and our human frame. So we call on and access the keys of spiritual hunger, openness, and a deep spiritual vacuum—so that we can be filled with You, desiring only Your mind and answers, and so that we'll be willing to do whatever is needed in this situation, even when it means major changes.
29. We ask for Your keys of focus and concentration, so that no distraction in any way, shape, or form—either spiritual or physical—will be able to exact upon our minds, spirits, bodies or health during this time. We call on the keys of spiritual fortification, so that our spiritual walls are well fortified during this time, and our spiritual security is unable to be penetrated by any of the Enemy's attacks, or any one of his demons. Thank You for the great host of Heaven about us, and all of our spirit helpers. We pray that our teamworking with them will be enhanced mightily through the power of the keys—so we will all bear witness to many mighty miracles‚ solutions, answers, and sound practical applications of Your instruction and guidance.
30. We desperately need Your key power in every way—for every facet and part of this time of counsel and prayer together. But first of all—before we even begin—we call specifically on the key of discipleship. That's the bottom line; that's what these meetings are all about, fighting for the survival of the Family. We're all fighting to once again be disciples—Your true followers. So first of all, we need to access and lay hold of that key of discipleship ourselves, so that all that we want is to be true disciples—followers of You, no matter what the cost and no matter where that road leads.
31. Help us, dear Husband‚ to claim that key of discipleship and hold onto it with all of our might and strength—to treasure it—so that we'll be desirous only of You‚ and only what You want us to do and what You know is needed. We lay everything else—our own ideas and mindsets and past ways of doing things, at Your feet. We give it all to You, and we open ourselves to Your mind‚ stepping outside the box of our own thinking, as true disciples should. Give us the desire and hunger to follow You alone and where You lead, never wanting to stray from that narrow path of discipleship. We claim the wonderful key promise: "Call on the keys of discipleship, that I might awaken in you once again the heart and spirit of a true revolutionary disciple, one who is willing to change‚ and willing to follow Me whithersoever I lead, no matter what the cost." Amen.
Many Victories, but Continued Serious Problems
32. We must talk a lot about problems, but that's not to say there hasn't been progress in recent years. The Family has grown in many areas. We've had a long period of relative peace from persecution. Dad's Homegoing, the increased use of prophecy, the "Loving Jesus" revelation, the new weapons of the keys, of praise, of unity, the Love Charter, more pioneering and witnessing, numerous academic studies and scholarly books being printed about the Family, reconciliation with former members, the CM/FM walls being broken down, the Activated program and the board structure are some of the highlights of the past eight years, and each has brought with it lessons, victories‚ and progress.
33. While we have made progress in a number of areas, especially in regards to our outreach and the practical side of running the Family, there have been some serious spiritual problems that the Lord has tried to help us overcome throughout the past years, namely:
Compromise and a weakening of our discipleship standard in a variety of forms, such as:
*Lack of emphasis on the Word and living in it; disobedience to the Word; familiarity with the Word; reading the Word for information only.
*A loss of fear of the Lord; a lack of feeling accountable or realizing that there is loss and judgment for sin and disobedience.
*Not living up to Charter responsibilities; doing the minimum rather than the maximum.
*Robbing God through not giving full tithes; withholding offerings and gifts.
*Misuse and abuse of the Law of Love, which has hurt and stumbled many and caused some to not believe in the Law of Love as the Lord revealed it to Dad.
*An increase in System jobs, resulting in many not spending sufficient time witnessing‚ and a growing dependence on the System for finances and a weakening of faith for the Lord's supply.
*Not living communally; many single families either living on their own or with their teenage children in order to fulfill the four-man minimum.
*Putting children in System school and not properly feeding and strengthening them spiritually.
*Taking in System influences and worldliness through System music‚ the Internet, novels, computer games, movies, and fellowship with unbelievers‚ which has seriously weakened many members.
*Delinquent parents and a lack of godly training being invested in our kids; lack of discipline, so that our children are not the samples they should be, nor are they gaining a strong foundation of faith and a relationship with the Lord.
*Allowing our JETTs and teens to run wild and be bad samples.
*Failing to shepherd each other, and people not accepting shepherding from others.
*Not living Acts 2:44–45; not caring for the weak or making sure everyone has enough.
*Excessive use of fundraising methods that include little or no witness, while neglecting deep witnessing and consistent follow-up and the Activated program.
*Toning down our message; not preaching the meat of the Word; taking on churchy ideas and methods; not being willing to be associated with the name of the Family.
*Not reaching the rich and educated; an overemphasis on CTP programs.
*Lack of conviction.
*Disunity and division; allowing the Selvegion entrance.
*Not fighting against serious spiritual sins such as pride‚ self-righteousness, criticalness‚ lethargy, bitterness and resentment.
*Widespread gossip, which has hurt others deeply and bred division.
*Independence and selfishness.
34. The fact that the Lord has specifically talked about these problems in numerous GNs over the past years, yet these sins and weaknesses continue to plague the Family throughout the world, is a major concern. The Lord has admonished time and time again about the need to solve these problems and to once again bring us up to the level of discipleship that He desires for the Family. He has gone as far as to say that the Family will cease to exist if we do not overcome the spiritual problems that are seriously weakening us.
35. In July 1999, in the S2K series, the Lord made it clear that if the Family didn't live up to the standard He required‚ we would not be able to continue on as His Endtime Church. In short, He said:
36. Now as you and your children near the End, you must go back to the beginning, back to the freshness, the freedom of spirit, the total break with the world that there was in the beginning. There must be a purging, because the children of David must be kept free from the System and the influences of the world, which, if left unchecked, if allowed to continue as they now are, would destroy the Family.
37. I do not speak in exaggerated terms. I do not say these things only to get your attention or the attention of the Family; I say this because it's a warning of the direst nature.
38. All is not guaranteed. It's not that you are destined to be My avant-garde Endtime army and there's nothing that could ever change that. Even that promise is conditional, contingent on your obedience and faith.
39. The future of the Family is hanging in the balance. The very existence of the Family—My revolutionary, called-out church and bride who forsakes all to follow Me and win others to Me—is in jeopardy. ("The S2K," ML #3257:48, 49, 51‚ 54, GN 857).
40. This theme was brought out in the "Conviction vs. Compromise" series as well, when Mama said:
41. The place of the Family in the Endtime is not guaranteed. It's not like we can do whatever we want and everything that is promised us will just come to us on a silver platter. We have to be worthy of the calling by continued obedience. We have to stay in the fear of the Lord. We have to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. ("CvsC, Part 1," ML #3361:32‚ GN 957).
42. If the Lord does not rid the Family of the compromises that have taken hold, eventually we will become just another church. That means we'd lose our special calling. ("CvsC, Part 1," ML #3361:78, GN 957).
43. The threat of compromise is that eventually the Family will be just like everyone else. That's the essence of compromise. That's the goal of the Devil's inroads through compromise, to make us the same as everyone else, to take away the uniqueness of the Family, to tone down the special message the Lord has given us, and through that to make us less attractive to the lost or even cause us to fall apart.
44. Compromise gradually roots out all the "differences" in order to make the Family just like everyone else. When that happens, it's death to the Revolution; it's the end of the Family as we know it. ("CvsC, Part 3," ML #3363:3,6, GN 959).
45. Perhaps many of us have gotten a little familiar with these warnings, but we must understand that the Lord means what He says, and if we miss the mark and don't turn the Family around, we will see the end of the Family as we know it.
46. When in Brazil in July and August of this year, we focused on how we would evaluate the Brazil Family members once the punishment was over. We desperately sought the Lord about what attitude we should have regarding this eventual judgment and reinstatement. We needed to have the Lord's mind on the matter so that we would neither be too tough nor too soft. When we asked Him to make the way He saw things clear‚ He said:
47. You have heard My warnings, beginning in "The Shakeup," and then in the "Conviction vs. Compromise" messages about how I will not hesitate to raise up another Endtime army if the children of David cannot be purified and cleansed of the compromises and ways of the world. Do not be like those who have grown so accustomed to My warnings that they have become of no effect. Know that this is true, and verily the future of the Family rests in your hands. If you compromise and are lenient, you will fail, and I will require the blood of many at your hands.
48. This is a very sobering message that goes beyond the situation in Brazil, as the problems of the Brazil Family are basically the same as the worldwide Family's problems. We are faced with numerous "Brazils" around the world.
Compromise Is the Killer
49. The Lord uses the Word "compromise" twice in this short prophecy, first when He says, "I will not hesitate to raise up another Endtime army if the children of David cannot be purified and cleansed of the compromises and ways of the world." The Lord identifies one of the problems that the Family has and must be purified and cleansed from, as being compromise. He then says that we, as leadership, must not compromise or be lenient, for if we do, we will fail and we will be to blame.
50. In praying, hearing from the Lord, and studying the Brazil situation over the past nine months, the numerous compromises plaguing the whole Family have come up again and again. While there are a multitude of Family problems, the most serious is compromise‚ because compromise is the garden in which most of the other problems are nourished and grow. Compromise in many forms has brought about such great spiritual weakness that it is threatening the Family's existence.
How We Got to This State
51. In order to understand the problems of compromise which have permeated the Family, and to find the way to rid the Family of this killer, we must first understand how we got in such a compromised condition. In order to understand the state of the Family today, it helps to look back at our history since the implementation of the Charter.
Review of Pre-Charter Days
52. The Charter was written throughout 1994 and implemented in April 1995. In order to understand why the Charter contains some points, and the intent of those points, it helps to remember that the pre-Charter Family was very different than the Family of today. Homes were much larger and were controlled by the Home shepherds, who were often appointed by the NASs and CROs. There was insufficient participation in decision-making on the part of Home members. Upper-level leadership (primarily NASs) had too much authority over the Homes, Home teamworks, and Home members, resulting in many decisions affecting the Homes and individuals being made by people who did not live in those Homes, and who sometimes were not even familiar with the individual situations their decisions were affecting. There was harsh discipline in some Homes. Many parents had abdicated their responsibility for the training and care of their children to the childcare helpers and teachers. Family members had insufficient freedom of movement, which hindered their pioneering, opening new Homes, or changing Homes when they desired. So much inward focus on home life and maintaining large combos had resulted in a lack of witnessing and getting the message out.
53. General Family rules were not codified, so local leadership often determined which rules to emphasize and which to ignore. Discipline for breaking rules wasn't uniform throughout the world, thus there was no clear standard of behavior or set discipline standard for infractions. Much of this was left up to local leadership to decide‚ and many of the decisions were subjective and sometimes arbitrary. There was very little in the way of personal freedoms‚ no clear rights of individuals or Homes, no clear bridle on leadership authority, and no defined procedures of discipline.
54. The Family was at a state where there was a need for major change. The Charter brought that change. The Charter introduced various rights and responsibilities. It listed our fundamental rules. It defined the responsibilities and authority of each level of leadership. The "rights" portions of the Charter were put in place to protect members and Homes from overbearing leadership, and to spell out various freedoms that were not available to our members before the Charter, such as the "Right of Mobility." The "responsibilities" sections defined the various responsibilities placed on Charter members‚ those things they had to do in order to retain their Charter membership. Rules, regulations, discipline, and authority were codified.
55. The Charter solved many of the problems of the day. People left large, very red–tape type Homes and pioneered new Homes and new mission fields. People started to branch out and follow their faith. Parents took responsibility for the training and care of their children, rather than having them in big school groups. Family members learned to depend less on leadership for their day-to-day decisions and to take much more responsibility for their decisions and actions than in the past. There was greater emphasis on prophecy. The Lord became individuals' personal Shepherd, and people matured in many ways.
Lack of Shepherding
56. The Charter brought freedoms that were not present in the pre-Charter era, and while these had many positive effects, there were negative ones as well. Learning to not depend so heavily on leadership for personal direction was a positive effect, yet for some, that independence led to an unwillingness to listen to others at all or to receive shepherding, which was a negative effect.
57. Because of pre-Charter heavy-handedness on the part of some leadership, the Charter set boundaries for leadership‚ especially in the area of disciplining errant members. The intent was to ensure that leadership did not make arbitrary judgments, but rather based their judgments and punishments on the Charter, thus hopefully eliminating the overly strict climate that previously existed. The Charter also attempted to ensure that the standard of discipline was uniform throughout the Family.
58. While there were limits placed on leadership and there were procedures that had to be followed to discipline errant members, there was still a great deal of authority and responsibility granted to leadership. They could still discipline, and in fact were given the responsibility to discipline, with the safeguard in place that the discipline had to follow the procedures set out in the Charter.
59. At the same time, the GNs were promoting a more loving and understanding approach to leadership. While the GNs did not say that leadership should stop disciplining errant members, they did emphasize the love, patience, and understanding side of leadership, mainly to try to move people away from the more heavy-handed leadership that existed in the pre-Charter era.
60. This combination of granting specific rights which greatly increased the freedom of the individual, while at the same time reducing the authority or "control" of leadership, brought about a great deal of change within the Family. Much of it was positive, in that members could then freely move about; they could move out of Homes they were previously placed in; they could pioneer new Homes in new areas; they could exercise their personal faith and make decisions that had been in the hands of their leadership before the Charter.
61. On the other hand‚ a negative effect developed, namely the tendency of the individual to take on freedoms that were not intended, claiming these freedoms as "rights" under the Charter. Often these supposed "rights" were simply their personal interpretation of the Charter and were not rights at all. Leadership, especially at the Home level, but also through the upper ranks, tended to be rather gun-shy regarding shepherding others‚ fearful of being heavy-handed or of contravening the Charter, and thus backed away from disciplining errant members.
62. In addition, some of the disciplinary procedures in the Charter leaned strongly toward the protection of the individual, to guarantee that leadership didn't make arbitrary decisions and that judgments were fair. This was especially true at the VS level, where in many cases, before applying discipline, such as Probationary Notice, a VS is required to visit and speak with everyone in the Home before reaching a judgment. With time it has become apparent that such cumbersome procedures have made it difficult‚ expensive, time–consuming, and sometimes impossible for the VSs to investigate the problem and mete out proper discipline. This hindered the enforcement of the Charter, as there were too few VSs, with too little time and money, to be able to follow up on situations that needed discipline.
63. In time, a pattern developed where leadership at every level (Home, VS, and CO) became more reluctant to shepherd people's spiritual lives. The freedom given in the Charter, with the intent to help disciples break out of the old bounds and restrictions in order to serve the Lord as He led them, began to bring about a different kind of independence, one in which individuals began to feel that no one, especially leadership, should be involved in their lives. This attitude took hold to some extent within leadership itself, so that leadership was unsure as to how much personal shepherding they should do.
64. Because shepherds wanted to be loving, understanding, kind, and fair, the fear or reluctance to discipline became widespread. A lenient attitude developed, especially in regards to disciplining spiritual sins‚ as well as moving people out of the CM Family who were not living up to the CM level. Leniency became the prevailing attitude throughout leadership levels, and in many cases it went beyond leniency to the point of negligence and indulgence.
65. These factors—the negative independence of the individuals, the feeling that there should be little or no involvement in individuals' lives by the leadership, and thus little or no spiritual shepherding—coupled with the reluctance of leadership to spiritually shepherd and to discipline, have played a significant role in lowering the standard of discipleship throughout the Family.
66. Over the years, these and other factors created a climate in which numerous members who were not truly living the Charter standard were allowed to remain in the Charter Family. While there have been two partially successful attempts (S2K and CvsC) to sift those who are not Charter members—and thus not disciples—out of the CM Family, some of these mindsets regarding rights, freedoms, shepherding, leadership, and a compromised low level of discipleship still remain and continue to perpetuate further compromise in regards to discipleship.
Misinterpretation of the Charter
67. Another factor in the equation was that at the onset of the Charter, the principle was put forth that if something was not specifically stated in the Charter‚ it didn't have to be done. This was especially true regarding Family rules. It was important at the time to clarify that the hundreds of past rules, written or unwritten, were no longer valid, but only those covered by the Charter and the Fundamental Family Rules. It was explained that if there were new rules or if there was a new fundamental Family belief, it would be clearly stated in the GNs that these were new rules or beliefs that had to be adhered to.
68. While at the time the Charter was written there was a valid reason for presenting this principle, it soon became clear that people began to interpret this to mean that the New Wine did not have to be applied in their lives‚ because it wasn't stated specifically in the Charter that such-and-such a new GN had to be applied. This gave justification to many for not following the specific guidance given through the GNs.
69. This problem was recognized and the Charter was amended in 1998 to state: "A Charter member should live in accordance with the Word by endeavoring to apply the spiritual and practical counsel given in the Letters to their daily lives." (See LNF 275.) The intent of this amendment was to encourage members to apply the Word in their lives and to give leadership authority to discipline in cases where members were choosing to not follow the direction in which the GNs were leading.
70. Despite this amendment, the earlier mindset had taken root, and the attitude of "if it's not said specifically that we must do it, then we don't have to," continued to be a justification for not obeying or following the Word. This was especially true for those who didn't want to follow the Lord's leading through the GNs, or who were in the process of leaving the Family. It was also the case for many of our youth who were coming of age.
71. This lack of obedience to the New Wine and using the Charter against the GNs became a serious problem, in that it undermined the authority of the Letters and the role the Lord expected them to have in guiding the Family. What wasn't understood by many is that the Charter was not meant to override, bind, or usurp the Word, but was rather meant to reflect the Word. The "Responsibilities of Individual Members" was written in a way that was meant to go hand in hand with the Word. Those responsibilities were written to articulate the discipleship life, and were, for the most part, broad enough so that they did at the time and would continue to do so in the future, even as new direction from the Lord was given.
72. This means that when looking at a GN that articulates the Lord's will in some matter, instead of seeing it from the point of view of, "The Charter doesn't say we specifically have to do this‚" it should be looked at like, "The Lord says we need to do this, so let's see which Responsibility of Individual Members or Responsibility of the Charter Home this falls under." Pretty much everything in the GNs can be applied to one of those clauses, so when looking at the Charter, it should be interpreted in light of what the Lord is telling us today in the GNs.
73. For example, the Charter states that a member must "engage in evangelism." However, the definition of "engaging in evangelism" must be interpreted in light of the Word today. When the Charter was written‚ the Activated program and the emphasis on follow-up and feeding the sheep didn't exist. So "engaging in evangelism" meant something different eight years ago than it does today. However, now after 30 GNs giving in-depth counsel about Activated, it's very clear that the Lord is intent on the Family participating in the Activated program and follow-up. Can we say, "I don't have to do Activated because the Charter doesn't say I have to"? No. When interpreting the meaning of "engage in evangelism" today‚ we have to do so in light of the New Wine. What does that mean today? It means doing Activated. So that means if a Home isn't involved in Activated or in follow-up or feeding their sheep, they are in contravention of the Charter.
74. While this principle of interpreting the Charter based on the Word was known in theory by leadership, it hasn't been sufficiently implemented. Thus many members felt their wrong interpretation of the Charter was right, because nobody was telling them otherwise. This lack of interpreting the Charter based on the most recent direction from the Lord in the GNs has contributed to weakening the power of the Word in the lives of many.
75. The Family's problems stem from not taking the Word seriously enough and not feeling obligated to apply it in their lives, which has led to a state of compromise. By not having sufficient correction or discipline from Home and upper-level leadership for noncompliance with or non-application of the Word, individuals concluded that it was acceptable to not obey or apply the Word.
Lack of Discipline for Not Obeying the Word
76. While the Lord has continually stressed obedience to the Word, and has clearly stated that fully living the Word is a prerequisite for discipleship within the Family in GN after GN over the years, the lack of judgment and discipline for not doing so has caused many to come to the conclusion that their present level of obedience or compliance is acceptable‚ when clearly it is not. The result has been a steady downward spiritual drift, where at no level within the Family is there that great a concerted effort to apply the Letters‚ which has led to serious compromise at all levels of the Family and a general sinking of the spiritual state of the Family.
Standard of Discipleship Dropped
77. Perhaps the most serious outcome of these problems is that many people feel that they are living the Word, that they are living the discipleship standard, and that they are obeying, when in fact they are not. Compromised mindsets have taken hold within the minds of many to the point that when the Lord clearly and strongly gives His direction via the GNs‚ the response and obedience level don't reflect anywhere near the intensity or the true intent of what the Lord has said. But unfortunately, many think that they are fully obeying.
78. All of these events and mindsets have led us to our present compromised state of affairs. Many members and Homes who are not living up to discipleship as the Lord has described it in the Word over the past years actually believe they are living the true discipleship level. They have come to accept their compromised state as being the correct state. Their misguided understanding of their level of obedience and discipleship is reinforced by leadership at all levels, because leadership is not disciplining them for not fully obeying the Word and living up to true discipleship. To the Home members' thinking, if they are not being disciplined for their low level of obedience, then that low level must be the correct level, or at least acceptable. This is causing a continual erosion of the spiritual state of the Family.
What Happened?
79. Over the past years, the Word has clearly stated the Lord's intent to spiritually tighten things up. He spoke numerous times in GN after GN about the major sins throughout the Family: the disunity and division, the selfishness, the gossip‚ the criticism, the murmuring, the bitterness and resentment; the lack of living the Law of Love, the One Wife vision‚ and Acts 2:44-45; disobedience to the Word; the wallowing in ungodly and unedifying influences; the compromise that has crept into the Family; lack of preaching the meat of the Word and trying to tone down our message; allowing the children and teens to run wild and become delinquent and poor Christian samples through lack of godly discipline and Word-based training—to name some of the major ones. He named the spiritual powers that fight against us: Pan, Bacchus, Apotheon, Lethargy‚ the Selvegion, Arakan, and Obstacon, among others. He gave us the keys of the Kingdom, which have put increased spiritual power at our fingertips. He explicitly warned us that if we as a Family don't become the disciples He needs us to be, He will have to start over with someone else.
80. He has clearly stated His definition of discipleship and of a true CM Home, a discipleship Home. In "Conviction vs. Compromise‚" the Lord clearly outlined His will regarding Home size, witnessing ministries‚ having a well-rounded missionary work, preaching the meat of the Word, association with the Family name, education of our children, higher education, System jobs, living by faith, division and disunity, bitterness, problems with the Law of Love, parenting and child discipline standards, etc.
81. Yet today, two years later‚ we still have numerous Homes who do not comply with how God Himself has stated He wants things to be. Currently‚ 149 of our 685 CM Homes are undersized, meaning that they contain less than four voting members. That's 22% of our Homes! And 88 of those undersized Homes are single–family Homes.
82. "Conviction vs. Compromise" also makes it clear that even a four-man Home, and especially a single-family Home, can't be a truly fruitful discipleship Home, yet presently there are another 128 CM Homes which are only four voting members, which the Lord has said are very likely to be unfruitful. All together‚ this means that 40% of our Homes are either undersized, or are, by the Lord's definition, not able to be the fruitful sample Homes they are meant to be. However‚ from the Home's viewpoint, these particular disobediences are acceptable. Why?
83. One reason is that there is insufficient prodding other than by the Word to get them to comply. Leadership didn't step in and actively promote Homes that were large enough to be fruitful and effective; in some cases they allowed and authorized undersized Homes by granting exceptions. WS didn't take sufficient time to further analyze the problem and change the Home size rules to reflect the Lord's direction. WS also didn't sufficiently prod leadership to enforce the Word.
84. While Mama faithfully passed on the Word, which made everyone personally accountable because they all knew exactly what the Lord was saying, WS did not go further in finding and implementing administrational means and safeguards to make sure the Word was complied with. We did not sufficiently lean on upper-level leadership to carry out the Lord's wishes. We didn't effectively make sure the Word was obeyed by giving clear and unequivocal direction to the COs and VSs.
85. So while the Word, especially Letters like S2K and CvsC, did have some immediate short-term effect, the spirit and intent of these Letters didn't take root in the long term due to shortcomings at all levels. In short, while the Lord, through the Word, was trying to tighten things up within the Family, trying to rid us of spiritual sin and compromise, trying to move those on who were no longer disciples in spirit‚ the Family at large, including leadership, had adopted a lenient mindset regarding obedience to the Word and the means of enforcement outlined in the Charter, and thus the Family didn't apply the Word as thoroughly as it should have been applied‚ resulting in failure to bring about the Lord's wishes to the extent that He wanted.
Grading on the Curve
86. This lenient mindset has led to a general acceptance of the sinking spiritual state of the Family. Leadership has been dealing with the same problems year after year, and has tired of trying to correct and change what seem like unsolvable problems. They have reached the point where they no longer feel they can expect so much of the Homes. Leadership has taken on the mindset of accepting that things are the way they are and not much can be done to change them. They've tolerated the complacency of many, allowing them to continue on in a compromised state, feeling that it's just too difficult or painful to either bring them up to standard or to move them on to Fellow membership. Eventually they ease up and resign themselves to the fact that these problems exist and nothing can be done to change them. This brings about the false method of judgment called "grading on the curve."
87. "Grading on the curve" is when a teacher gives a test and takes the highest grade achieved on the test and calls that 100%, and then bases everyone else's grade on that starting point. So if the smartest guy in the class misses 25% of the answers‚ getting only 75% right, then the teacher says that this highest score of 75% is going to be considered 100% and the top grade, and everyone else will be graded accordingly. When grading this way, someone who got only half the answers right will be graded up at the 75% or 80% level. Even though such a low score is actually a failure, when you grade on the curve, the failures look like acceptable or even good grades. It's a false method of judgment that allows those who are well below standard to appear to be up to par.
88. Unfortunately‚ when it comes to the discipleship level of many of our Homes, we have tended to grade on the curve. Because the overall discipleship level of the Homes has sunk so low, the tendency has been to grade on the curve, so that some of the so-called "best" Homes in an area are really not running at the true 100%. But because some of these are considered the best Homes in the area, they are looked at as being 100%, and the other Homes are judged accordingly. This means that some of our Homes that are operating at a 50% discipleship level are accepted as CM Homes. Why?—Because we are grading on the curve and are judging not according to the standard of the Word and Charter, but rather by comparison to the other Homes in the area. We are "comparing ourselves among ourselves‚ which is not wise" (2Cor.10:12).
89. This perpetuates the misunderstanding amongst Homes that they are doing just fine, even though some are grossly under par when compared with the Word. After all, they must be fine, because leadership accepts them at this level. Eventually they no longer even understand that they are substandard disciples and they're living in disobedience to the Word. They no longer feel that the Word needs to be obeyed, at least not to the 100% level. This leads to the mistaken thinking that the Lord must just be exaggerating when He states things in the Letters, or that He doesn't really mean for the Word to be obeyed‚ or that this compromised level of obeying the Word is not only acceptable, but is, in fact, full compliance and obedience to the Word.
Spiritual Sin Allowed to Go Unchecked
90. Another important factor that has contributed to the Family's sinking spiritual level has been the de–emphasis on the gravity of spiritual sin. The general tendency at all levels of leadership is to discipline for the practical, easy-to-prove sins or disobediences, while avoiding discipline for the much more difficult-to-prove spiritual sins, such as excessive pride, gossip, self-righteousness, disunity, etc. It's easier to prove if someone sinned by breaking an actual rule, as the infraction is clear not only to the person judging, but also to the person being judged. If an individual had sex with an outsider, took drugs, or smoked, for example‚ they know they did, and in their own mind they know they are guilty of wrongdoing. They generally can't claim the judgment is unfair, because it's black and white. This type of situation is fairly easy to judge in comparison to judging spiritual sins.
91. When it comes to spiritual sins, matters can get a bit murky. While leadership might know someone is self-righteous, proud, hypocritical, murmuring, or has a critical spirit, and thus see the need to shepherd and correct that person, the person being corrected might not see it quite the same way, and might not be convinced that the shepherd is justified in giving correction or discipline. In the person's own mind he might not feel guilty; he could very well feel he is right, and be blind to his wrongdoing, as is often the case with such spiritual sins. Sometimes a person's unwillingness to accept that he has these sins is the fruit of the sins, so the person remains unconvinced that he has sinned.
92. Spiritual correction and discipline are much more difficult for leadership to deliver, because the wrongdoing is not always tangibly provable. It means moving away from the black-and-white Charter rules and into the "Responsibilities of Individual Members," which cannot be so precisely defined. It requires some measure of subjectivity and interpretation, which leadership generally tries to avoid. Leadership doesn't want to misjudge nor be accused of misjudging; they don't like to be in the position of using the less specific responsibilities of the Charter member, especially when the person is in disagreement. This kind of shepherding is difficult to do, so it's often applied much less than it should be.
93. Not disciplining for the spiritual sins, but regularly dispensing discipline for the black-and-white disobediences, has promoted the false mindset that the practical types of sins are much worse than the spiritual ones, when in fact they are not. This mindset is played out when Home members receive discipline for a practical sin, but those who have serious spiritual sins aren't corrected for them. Unfortunately‚ there are a number of Home shepherds who discipline Home members for practical sins, while they themselves are guilty of serious spiritual sins that go uncorrected.
94. In practical terms, this has meant that individuals who aren't having sex with outsiders, but who are in serious disunity with others or excessively proud, don't feel that they are sinners‚ because if they were, someone would be disciplining them for it. They assume that since nobody is disciplining them, their sins must not be so bad, or maybe they aren't sinning at all.
95. At the Home level, teamworks often fall into this emphasis on the shepherding of the practical sins, but hesitate to delve into the spiritual problems of the Home members. Instead‚ the teamworks expect the VSs to take care of these "more difficult" cases. Often they don't call for VS help until the problem gets so serious that it's practically out of hand, rather than working with the person when the problem is smaller, and helping them to overcome through consistent spiritual shepherding. This also results in a "letter of the law" legalism, which is focused on tiny details, but ends up missing the much weightier and more important matters of the spirit.
96. Many Home teamworks don't seem to understand or don't accept their role in shepherding people. They don't use the tools of enforcement, which they have both the authority and responsibility to use. This seriously weakens the whole Family structure, because the Home is the basic unit of the Family. The individuals in the Home make the Home what it is‚ and if the Home teamwork of those individuals doesn't help them to live the true discipleship standard, then the Home will be weak and compromised. If there are enough Homes that are in a weak and compromised state, it seriously weakens the whole Family.
The Mindset about Fellow Member Status Is Still Negative
97. Another contributing factor to the overall problem is the continuing wrong mindset of the Family and field leadership in regards to Fellow member status. While it has improved over the years, the general mindset toward Fellow membership is still quite negative. To many in the CM Family, FM status is considered extremely bad; it's a punishment level, it's almost as bad as backsliding. The stigma of it is more than some can bear; it's shameful. For many it's the equivalent of being kicked out of the Family. CM Family members have, for the most part, fought hard to be CM disciples‚ and even if they don't presently live true discipleship as per the standard of the Word, they do not want to move to Fellow membership because they consider it an admission of failure.
98. In some cases, field leadership have a similar mindset, so it's very difficult for them to move someone to the FM level, as they know it will greatly affect that person's life and they feel they are the cause of it, and they would be to blame for their suffering. Home teamworks are extremely reluctant to start procedures to move someone in the Home to FM status for the same reason. It's even more difficult for the Home to initiate the procedure to move a Charter member to FM, because the person lives right with them. Thus they seldom do, even though they know the person is not a disciple. Because of this mindset, moving someone to FM status is traumatic for the person‚ the Home, and leadership. This makes it difficult for leadership to move people to FM status‚ even if it's more in line with the person's lifestyle or level of service.
99. When CM members see other CM members around them who are clearly not living anywhere near the discipleship level, but are called disciples, it causes them to question, feel confused or even disillusioned, and often leads to a drop in their personal convictions. After all‚ why should they strive so hard to live discipleship when others who are CM are not living it, but are still considered disciples? Under such circumstances, eventually the true disciples stop fighting so hard and begin to compromise, gradually allowing their discipleship level to drop.
The Creeping Paralysis
100. There are a number of intertwining factors that have contributed to the creeping paralysis within the Family and have brought us to our present troubled and compromised state. We need to urgently deal with those factors. We need to change them and raise the spiritual level of the Family, or we will face the consequences. While we are accomplishing a tremendous amount of good in our ministries worldwide, with high stats, souls won, etc., on the spiritual side we are sinking. The level of discipleship within the Family is dangerously compromised. People who were true disciples years ago have now sunk to levels well below discipleship, but sadly don't even know it. Many feel they are living the discipleship standard, but instead are operating at about a 50% level. Over the years‚ their perception of discipleship has changed to the point that today, many of our members and Homes‚ while holding CM status, are not living true discipleship. They are members, but not true disciples.
101. We must wake them to this fact and urgently do all we can to help them understand that they are no longer disciples. Then they must either work hard to get back to discipleship or move (or be moved) to a different level of Family service. We must make the CM Family a discipleship Family. We must implement whatever changes are necessary to make this happen. If we don't, the Lord will raise up someone else to be His New Church, and we will have joined the ranks of the Old Church, a cold, dead organization which does some good but is no longer alive‚ vibrant, and moving with God's will for today.
Going to War
102. What we must understand in the depths of our hearts is that the Lord has clearly stated that He will raise up others to take our crowns if we do not take His warnings seriously and bring about the changes He is demanding. Things must change. We must solve these problems. We must change the wrong mindsets. We must make the CM Family a place of discipleship. We must rid ourselves of every kind of compromise. We must swiftly turn the Family around or we will be turned out to pasture.
103. We can no longer operate as the peacetime army we've been for the last eight years. We are going to war. We must take on a wartime mentality. We must let go of our present mindsets, of holding on to the way things have been these last eight years, and we must concentrate our prayers, our time, and our efforts on solving the crises that exist in our midst.
104. The Devil and his forces are out to destroy us. He knows we are weakened and he's marshaling his forces against us. It's like a nation that has watched its enemies prepare for war against them. They've seen the weapons build up, they've seen the enemy troops being trained, and it's clear that very soon the enemy will attack this nation's shores. That nation cannot wait until the actual attack comes; they need to begin their preparation now. Their peacetime soldiers need to begin emergency training; new soldiers need to be recruited and trained. Weapons training must begin now. Every effort must be undertaken to prepare the army for battle, for if it isn't, the enemy will come in and destroy this nation and its people.
105. We are that nation. Our Commander in Chief, Jesus, has told us what's coming. He's commanded us to prepare. He has supplied us with sufficient advanced weaponry and has told us how to train for battle. The problem is that we've been at peace for so long that we haven't truly grasped that the clouds of war are gathering on the horizon. We haven't gotten the point that we need to get our army back to fighting strength, that our soldiers are out of shape and unready. Even though we have manpower, much of that manpower is weak and unprepared, and worst of all, not even aware of their true pitiful state.
106. This must change. We must turn our nation around. We must do whatever is necessary to prepare ourselves. We have to make the CM Family the fighting discipleship force it must be. We must bring true discipleship back into our midst. We must take whatever steps are necessary to make this happen. If we don't‚ we will lose the war and the Lord will raise up others to do the job that we failed to do.
107. We must take concrete steps to change the path we are on. There are a number of specific proposals for changes within the Family that we are counseling and praying about, which we believe will help to bring about the needed changes. But making structural changes will not be enough. We are going to have to change mindsets, and it must start with us, the Family's leadership. We are going to have to change the way we look at things. We are going to have to individually rid ourselves of our own compromises and stop excusing others for theirs.
108. Compromise must be killed. Compromise is the enemy. Compromise is destroying us. We must root it out of every aspect of the CM Family.
109. We must give a clear sound of the trumpet as to what true discipleship is. It must be clear that nothing less than full discipleship is acceptable in the CM Family. We must all fight to bring the Family back to an uncompromised state‚ to make the Family the shining light of discipleship that it once was. If we don't, our light will fade, flicker, and eventually be extinguished.
110. We must eliminate the causes of compromise, which have been outlined today. We must stop grading on the curve, comparing ourselves among ourselves. We must determine that the CM Family is going to live full discipleship.
111. This is the commission the Lord has given us—to do whatever it takes to get the CM Family onto the road of discipleship, and everyone within the Family at large into the level of membership that they are best suited for. Fulfilling this commission will require a great deal of hard work, time‚ prayer, and hearing from the Lord. It will require major changes in our mindsets‚ Family structure, and modes of operation. The Lord has promised that He will do His part if we will do our part. (End of excerpt of Peter's talk at the Summit, "State of the Nation 2003.")
The Titanic Prophecy
112. Shortly before the Summit, the Lord gave the following message, which is an effective word picture that none of us will soon forget. This message makes clear the seriousness of the battle at hand.
113. (Jesus: ) My loves, My generals and My officers, now that I have you here gathered within this sanctum where I can have undivided quality time with each of you, I draw your attention and understanding to what lies ahead, so you can be best prepared in heart and spirit for what lies on the horizon for us all.
114. I now draw you aside to My war room—to the inner sanctum of My counsel and war strategies. Simply put, this is the most important thing happening right now—within the realm of both the spiritual and physical world. That means there is nothing more important than what is happening here right now, and what will be happening over the duration of this Summit. In precise and blunt war terms, nothing else should preoccupy your mind, nothing else should be a priority to you, and nothing else should pull you down from the wall of what is happening here. For we are at war, My loves‚ and I need each and every one of you—My elite officers—and your undivided input, full concentration, and focus.
115. Now is the time to lay everything else aside and focus on priorities—for I guarantee that the priority before us will touch each one of you personally and collectively—for it is literally a fight for the survival of the Family. Briefing time is coming shortly, but right now, this very moment, is the time to lay everything else before Me, and step aside in spirit into your station and position as My officers, with your weapons of the spirit ready at your side. If there was ever a time when I needed you, now is the time. I need you to "be there" for Me. The Family needs you to "be there" for them. To each of you I issue the call and summons: We're going to war for the future of the Family! Each of you—as one of My officers—is needed!
116. It's no mistake that you feel weary, tired, burdened‚ and battle-weary. This I allowed so that each one of you would be desperate—and in some cases at the end of yourselves—so that you would enter this time weak and in the best position to receive from Me. I have humbled My Bride—collectively as a body, and each of you individually. And I will continue to do so, that I may purify and purge My Bride so that she may once again be My new church—My called–out Endtime Bride.
117. This humility and weariness you've experienced are prerequisites for what lies ahead. This emptying of yourselves, this willingness to follow Me wherever I lead and do whatever is needed in order to salvage your heritage as one of Mine, are the conditions I require. As one of My officers, there will be lessons, instruction, and correction ahead—that's part of what I require of you—and what comes with the territory. But at the same time‚ this is not a time of pointing the finger of accusation or blame. In a crisis or emergency situation—which My Family is in right now—there is no time for "blame" or pointing the finger. All focus and concentration is pointed and directed toward the positive, toward finding solutions and keys that will ensure survival, victory, and progress. And that is My strategy‚ goal, and focus right now, and what I want to be yours.
118. You have heard Me refer to My Family—the children of David—as a great ship or ocean liner. And as such, any changes or moves or shifts of direction—because of the sheer breadth and width of the ship—cannot be done quickly; they take time. Now I give you, My officers, the same analogy of the ocean liner, only this time with a lot more gravity and a lot more sobriety of spirit. For now, at this point in time‚ I want you, My officers, to see and understand that I liken and compare the ocean liner of the Family to the Titanic prior to her demise. The great Titanic of the Family—which many in their familiarity and compromise have thought "unsinkable"—is indeed sinkable, unless met with drastic and sweeping measures! The rift in her side is long and deep and great‚ one that cannot be remedied by "compartmentalizing," and one that cannot be ignored or it will be the end of her. No matter how "slow" that sinking and death is, it will come, unless immediate, precise, and drastic action is taken.
119. In such times of crisis—such as the sinking of the Titanic—there is no time nor point in placing or pointing the finger of blame.--There is only time to look to salvation and to solutions. It's time for every officer and crew member to be "on deck" in spirit, because only in teamwork—in pulling together—will the victory be won. Now is the time when I call all of you, My officers, to be "on deck" in spirit, which means laying everything else aside and being willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the great ship of My Family.
120. This means being "on deck" in spirit at all times. Being on guard in spirit is a must. Being spiritually aware is a must. Being humble, yielded‚ prayerful and vigilant in spirit is a must, and being a faithful wielder of the keys is the most important prerequisite to your full protection, security, and success! (End of message from Jesus.)
121. (Peter: ) We pray this message doesn't scare you. There's nothing to be afraid of, but we must fight as never before. We have all the power of the universe at our fingertips through the keys of the Kingdom. So we are not to fear, but to pray fervently and to work diligently to find the Lord's will, and do it! We are not about to start running for the lifeboats and abandoning ship. We're not going to go down in defeat and humiliation. It's time to fight.
122. We're going to battle. We are at the frontlines. The Enemy is furious‚ and he won't take our attacks casually; he won't lie down and surrender. We have to attack and take him out.
123. We face a crisis. The ocean liner of the Family is in a dangerously weakened state and is in need of radical repairs and urgent measures if we are to save her and rescue the crew and passengers. That is the challenge the Lord has set before us, and it's up to each one of us to do our part.
124. The goal is not to just barely get the ship of the Family up and running, just enough to tow her into harbor where she can sit and rust and decay and eventually go the way of all those that went before her. We're not looking for a temporary stopgap, some kind of partial solution that will serve to simply delay the tragedy. We need innovative, fresh, effective measures that will solve the problems in the long term.
125. To this end, we sought the Lord desperately, and had many long, arduous meetings at the Summit, during which we explored numerous ideas and possibilities‚ as well as the related possible ripple effects that would come about as a result.
126. The goal is to restructure the Family and put safeguards and methods of enforcement in place that will result in the CM Family being a discipleship Family. The Homes and individuals that bear the title of Charter member must be a sample of discipleship as the Lord and the Words of David articulate it. That is what the Lord is expecting of us. Hundreds of pages of messages from the Lord and Dad have been published over the last several years that have articulated very clearly what discipleship is, but for various reasons, many in the CM Family have not made the changes needed in their personal lives and Homes to honestly and consistently reflect that picture of discipleship.
127. The Charter member Family equals discipleship. At least that's how it should be and how it must be if we are to survive as the New Church Endtime army that the Lord has chosen us to be. There is much that Mama and I will explain in 2004 to further clarify these goals and how the Lord has shown us to reach them, but for now I want to share with you a portion of the talk I gave on video to the Brazil Family in preparation for the reinstatement process of the Homes in Brazil. In order for the Homes to be judged fairly, they needed to know clearly on what grounds their Homes would be evaluated. This resulted in an explanation based on the Word and the Charter on discipleship.
What Is Discipleship?
128. We all understand and know that theoretically a Charter member should be a disciple and that a Charter Home should be a discipleship Home. Unfortunately, however, this concept has not really played out that way in our Charter members and Charter Homes. Let's review discipleship, starting with a look at what the Bible has to say about the discipleship lifestyle, the life of someone who calls himself a disciple.
129. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).
—This means faithful, consistent witnessing.
130. "All that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need" (Acts 2:44,45).
—Working and living together, sharing your possessions‚ being united, being one body, not being selfish.
131. "If any man will come after Me‚ let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23‚24).
—Denying yourself, not doing all the things that you want to do, really living for the Lord.
132. "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33).
—Forsaking all! That's not just your material possessions, but really forsaking your will to God‚ so you have no will of your own. You're willing to do whatever the Lord says; you forsake your life, your desires, your personal goals, your personal wants, and you give them to the Lord.
133. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2Cor.6:17).
—Coming out of the world. You're in the world‚ but you don't have to be of the world.
134. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Mat. 6:24).
—Not being divided in heart. Giving your all to the Lord. Not saying, "I'm going to serve money," or, "I'm going to have my job and do what I want, and I'll give the Lord part of my time." You'll love the one and hate the other—that's something to think about.
135. "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil.4:19).
—Trusting the Lord for supply‚ living by faith. These are not easy things to do, but it is part of the price of discipleship.
136. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1Jn.3:16).
—That doesn't mean just dying for somebody someday, but that means dying to yourself every day. Even for that guy you don't really like; even for that somebody who kind of rubs you the wrong way. You're still supposed to be laying down your life for them‚ really working with them, helping them, putting their needs above your own. Because:
137. "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another" (Jn.13:35).
—It's the testimony of love, the testimony of unity that shows if you're a disciple. When you live off on your own, either in your own small Home or you're living selfishly in your Home and not entering in, people don't see that love, that unity, that oneness. But the Bible says that that's how people will know you're disciples. It's so different. It's such a testimony that you have love one to another. Do you?
138. "If ye continue in My Word‚ then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn.8:31,32).
—That's an "if, then" clause. "If you continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed." If you're living the Word, if you're continuing in it, if you're absorbing it, then you're disciples. Conversely, if you're not doing those things, then you're not a disciple. So how are you doing? Are you continuing in the Word? Are you applying it in your life? If yes, you're a disciple. If no, or not enough, then you're not. It's fairly straightforward.
139. "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples" (Jn.15:8).
—What's the fruit of your witness? What's the fruit of your ministry? Are you bearing fruit? Is your Home bearing fruit?—Fruit of disciples, of contacts‚ of friends, of people being won to the Lord, of a witness getting out? What is the fruit?—Real, lasting fruit.
140. Those are just a few of the appropriate Bible verses, and I'm sure you can find many more. And if you want to be a Family disciple, an Endtime disciple of David and Maria, then you not only have to live those Bible verses, but you have to live the Letters. You have to apply God's New Wine for today to your life. If you're not, you're not a disciple. Being a disciple is being a doer of the Word, applying it.
141. This is a key point for you to understand, because that is what you're going to be held to—discipleship. You're going to be held to the standard of the printed Word. You will be held to the Charter—and not the minimum interpretation of the Charter, but what the Charter really says and what it really is. So it behooves you to read the Charter explanations, and also the GN "Charter Responsibilities," and to read the "Conviction vs. Compromise" series, which clarifies some common misinterpretations of the Charter. You will also be held to the New Wine. The Charter will no longer be the only basis of judging your discipleship. That's why it's important for you to understand what was said earlier about the so-called "minimum," which is not enough.
142. It's crucial that you realize that Charter membership equals discipleship, and vice versa. Here is a prophecy that explains this better than I can.
143. (Jesus: ) It's a new day and it's a new age, and My children are not toddlers anymore. I expect each one to grow into the full stature of a mature adult who discerns right and wrong, who discerns the standard of My New Wine, and is no longer interested in what he can get away with and what he doesn't have to live, but rather is judging spiritual matters and whether he is up to the spiritual standard.
144. I'm expecting My children now to grow into adults and to be judged by the adult standard of a mature Christian, which is a mature follower of the teaching.
145. Are you a mature follower of the teaching—of the New Wine? Or are you still stuck in childhood‚ striving to keep the letter of the law because that's all your hand is getting spanked for? It's a new day and a new age, and things are moving fast. What was acceptable yesterday in your childhood years is no longer acceptable, and I will have My shepherds now judge between the fat and the lean.—That is, between those who are moving ahead spiritually and grabbing onto the spiritual standard of the New Wine and getting bolstered in spirit and are healthy and alive, and those who have not put on the spiritual meat and are sick and lean and not making the growth into the spiritual world that they should be making and should have now made.
146. Things are changing, My loves‚ and My shepherds will now judge between the fat and the lean. When the New Wine comes out, it is expected to be lived, and the Charter will reflect this even more now, for I am upgrading the system that it runs by, its modus operandi, its method of operating. I'm not necessarily upgrading the standard. The depths of the standard were always there—the spiritual standard‚ that which the physical rules were built around. But now the implementation of the spiritual standard and the system by which its adherents will be judged will be upgraded to the spiritual standard of:
147. Are you living the New Wine or not? Is your spiritual state on target with the spiritual standard of discipleship as presented in the New Wine? Are you a disciple in spirit, or are you only keeping the minimum? Where does your spirit dwell? Where is your spirit at? Does it dwell with Me in your praises, or does it sink to the level of the Devil in complaints, murmuring, bitterness, jealousy, gossip, envy, hatred, anger, and disunity? That's what will be judged.
148. You have had time enough. It's not like you can say that you haven't known. The truth was there for all to see. The spiritual principles upon which the Charter rules were constructed were there. They are there; go ahead and take a look! But because children will be children, many chose to obey the physical rule but not necessarily learn the spiritual standard.
149. It's like a child being told not to sock his brother, because that isn't love. So he socks his brother and he gets his hand spanked. He socks him again and gets spanked harder. He socks him one more time and gets his hand spanked hard again and privileges taken away. So he stops socking his brother, but he doesn't necessarily love him yet. So he's learned the physical rule, but he hasn't learned the real rule I had in mind, the spiritual rule, and that is to love your brother, and if you love him, you won't sock him—out of love, not out of fear of punishment.
150. And it's the same with many of you. You have for the most part fulfilled the minimum practical requirements according to the Charter, but you have not fulfilled the spirit of the Charter, which is the spirit of love, obedience, and dedication to Me—the spirit of discipleship. I'm heading to the spiritual. I am a spirit. I operate in the spirit world and I'm trying to help your spirits grow and mature and unite with Mine as spiritually mature adults, doing what is right in My sight, and not only the things that you have to do in order to abide by the minimum standard.
151. I want to teach you how to live the spirit of the law rather than only the letter of the law. I want to teach you to obey and to do the right things because you love Me and fear Me‚ your Good Shepherd, rather than because you fear your earthly shepherds and the consequences that will come from them if you disobey the rules and don't uphold the standard.
152. The Charter had to be written the way it was because you were children. You were given a rulebook to obey. But now the years have passed, the seasons have changed, and it's time for you to grow into the mature plant. First the shoot, then the stalk‚ then the ear, then the full ear in the stalk. That is the process. You're now maturing into the stage of the ear appearing in the stalk, and I fully expect—and in fact, will not be able to allow in the full-time discipleship level, any but those who grow into full maturity, following the discipleship standard of the New Wine with all their hearts. Why? Because these are the only ones who will make it in the intensified warfare. All others will fall off the stalk. Only those who are rooted deeply and grown mature will have the spiritual strength and the wherewithal to withstand the storms and floods that are about to hit the inhabitants of the Earth.
153. I wish for you to float above the storm, to have your spirits in Mine, to walk through the waters and to not be drowned, and through the fires and not be burned. But this can only be done if you take My hand now and move up to the spiritual standard of the Word and the Charter of Love, living the Law of Love fully in your life, praising Me continually in your spirit, being faithful witnesses, hearing from Me frequently in prophecy, safeguarding yourselves from the influence of the world, shunning that which you know is not of the Word, sticking to that which you know is right, and living above the waters of murmuring‚ discontentment, and all that dwells in the lower strata of the Devil's spiritual world.
154. Now is your chance. It's like a 12-year-old coming to his bar mitzvah. Now you are a man, My son. Now I expect you to grow by leaps and bounds. Now I expect you to mature into full manhood. Now I expect you to take on responsibility. Now I expect you to start producing fruit—spiritual fruit, fruit of your kind, with the same depth of spirit, the same vision, the same goal, to become part of David's Endtime army which will sweep the Earth and which will not be moved by the rising tide of Satan's floods.
155. Now is the time, My loves! Grab the chance lest you too be swept away. For if you are to survive, you must make the change to becoming a spiritual follower of the teaching; you must start following the spiritual standard and stop sinking as a child to the minimum. The emphasis is now switching to the spiritual standard‚ the true standard upon which the physical was built. The physical will still be there and will be judged, but now My shepherds will be given a keen eye and a keen sense to discern the truth of spirit, and to judge the spiritual thereby. So there now will be a change in the emphasis of the standard.
156. I'm clearing away the rubble and getting back to the core, which is your spiritual standard‚ and all of you‚ My children, for your own sakes, and for Mine, will be judged thereby. The Charter is no longer a set of physical minimums, but it is a spiritual standard that will be upheld first and foremost, and all those that wish to stay afloat must now upgrade to this standard. It's been there all along and it hasn't changed. It's the same standard; it's just that now My children have reached the stage to make the step‚ the growth. And now the Enemy has stirred his camp and prepared his weapons, making your growth into the spiritual standard imminently paramount.
157. So I'm giving you the call now, and due notice, that all who wish to come may come and join Me where I live, and prepare for the great battle ahead, where we will be victorious! (End of message from Jesus.)
158. (Peter:) Praise the Lord. Isn't that a good explanation? Thank the Lord for such an important and prominent message—that we have to move to the spiritual, we have to upgrade. We have to stop being little kids‚ little toddlers, little children who only do things, or don't do things, because we might get spanked. We need to grow up in spirit. We need to be disciples in heart. Are you?
159. Please really look, pray, and seek the Lord about your level of discipleship. What have you been?—A little child obeying the rules because you have to?—Or a disciple who goes beyond merely keeping the rules, because they live love, because they live the Word, because they apply the Word? Which have you been? Which will you be? I'll tell you‚ if you're going to be a disciple in the Family, you're going to have to live more than the letter of the law. You're going to have to live the Word, because that's what the Lord is calling us to do.
160. Discipleship is not just a word. It's not just a matter of believing. It is believing, but it's also doing, it's action. You can know somebody's a disciple by what they're doing for the Lord. You have to have faith. You have to believe. You have to have a spiritual life and close walk with the Lord. But you also have to put it into action. Like the verse says, "Faith without works is dead."
161. There are lots of people in the church system who love Jesus, but they're not disciples. There are a lot of people who serve Him, but they're not disciples, because they don't really uphold the full discipleship lifestyle. They don't forsake all. They don't truly yield their will to the Lord. They say, "I'll serve You, but I'll serve You on my terms."
162. We in the CM Family need to be disciples, and we need to understand what discipleship is. And discipleship is based a lot on action. It's not self-improvement. It's not just about keeping the rules. It's service—true, one hundred percent‚ giving-of-yourself service.
163. You can ask yourself what you do with your time, because that can tell you what kind of disciple you are, or if you're a disciple at all. What are your priorities? Do you say, "Well, I've got to get things for myself. I've got to look out for myself, not my brother; I need to put myself before my brother. I have certain personal life goals that I've got to reach." Well, it's not bad to have personal life goals, but if they're not the goals that God has for your life, then where are you headed? Are you serving yourself or are you serving the Lord?
164. Discipleship is a matter of the spirit. That's what I want to convey to you. The question is: Are you a disciple spiritually? Do you have the heart of a disciple? Because if you have the heart and spirit of a disciple, truly forsaking all, giving your life completely to Jesus‚ then it will manifest itself through the fruits that you have in your life, the priorities that you have in your life, how you live your life, what you do, how you conduct yourself. Your so-called discipleship won't just be based on the rules.
165. We have the rules and they're important, and I'm not saying they're not. But if you're a disciple, the rules aren't the all in all, because if you love the Lord‚ if you obey the Lord and follow the Word, you will automatically fulfill all of those rules. You won't be a bad testimony. You won't let your personal problems overcome you and overtake you. You won't live in disunity with the brethren or be unloving to people. You won't be attached to the things of this world and the System. You will witness; you will win souls; you will have a missionary work. You will do all these things that the Lord has said are part of discipleship. You'll do them not because there are rules that say you have to do them, but you'll do them because that's what you know you should do as a follower of Jesus. You are a disciple. You are a professional.
166. That's really what we're after. That's what the Lord's after‚ and He's been very clear about that.
167. Your discipleship is your action, your doing, your living, your obeying. It's not just believing and listening and accepting. That's part of it, but that's not all of it. It's all of those things. It's believing, it's listening‚ it's accepting, but it's also doing, it's putting it into action, it's living the life, it's being a disciple in the spirit, it's having a disciple's heart, a disciple's spirit. And if those things are present‚ then you will live the discipleship life and it will be very evident. If those things aren't present, you can't fake it. If your heart isn't in discipleship, then even if you live in a CM Home, you won't really be a disciple, because your heart is not there. And that's truly where the change has to come—in your heart, in all of our hearts.
168. We can try to enforce the rules more consistently and effectively‚ but that alone is not going to make the CM Family a discipleship Family. The only thing that's going to do it is the change in each individual's heart, the change of spirit, the increased commitment. And that's why the Lord wants to cleanse the CM Family, because He wants those in the CM Family whose hearts are the heart of a disciple, whose spirits are the spirit of a disciple. That's the important thing, amen? This is what Mama and I want to convey to you.
169. Here are two excerpts of prophecy on this topic:
170. (Jesus: ) Discipleship is a lifestyle. It's what you do with your life. It's not a bunch of rules. It's not about "the minimum." Discipleship as I taught is giving all, it's forsaking all, it's holding back nothing from Me and those you serve. I didn't say, "Do this minimum and you'll squeak by." Those who wish to do that can be Family members and friends, but they're not disciples, even if they're keeping the letter of the law of "the minimum as per the Charter." What they don't understand is the intent of the law, the reason for the minimum. If they did, they would realize that it's not to allow the sample of discipleship to drop and drop and drop.
171. The vision of a disciple is someone who I could observe for one week‚ and say at the end of that time: "He's not perfect, but he loves Me, he obeys Me, he forsakes all; he lives for Me and others; he is a consistent, effective witness; he gives all. Simply put, he does the work of a disciple‚ and I'm proud to call him a disciple." Let that be your criterion. All the junk and fluff of the world, the sins of the tongue and spirit, will have to go to reach this standard. That's what I'm after; that's what I'm shooting for. If people aren't willing to hit this level and rise from the minimum and to reach higher than that—to really be what they could be, to be a good testimony of a disciple, then they shouldn't strive for CM status.
172. I'm going to now hold people to the true requirements of discipleship, which have been laid out plainly and clearly in the Bible for thousands of years. People just haven't wanted to apply certain portions of either the Bible or the Letters to their lives, because it costs too much. Well, discipleship costs, and now the whole Family is going to have to start paying the price or move to a different level of membership.
173. Discipleship is a hard life; it is for the few, not for the many. There are many in the Family today who really do not qualify for discipleship. It's not that they don't want to; it's not that they don't desire to; but they're really not willing to do the hard work of living the life. They aren't willing to sacrifice, and true discipleship involves a lot of sacrifices.
174. Full-fledged Family disciples, if they are true disciples, will be sacrificing, giving, yielding, preferring one another, obeying My Word, working for Me, bearing fruit; and, as a result, they will be happy and blessed, but they're still sacrificing. The happiness doesn't take away from the fact that the life of a disciple is one of self-denial, sacrificial service, and giving. It costs! And sad to say, many of My children of today are not willing to go that far. They've gotten used to "having their cake and eating it too." They think they can remain in the Family but still live in the world.
175. I'm taking the Family back to true, radical discipleship‚ and this means for almost every single Family member a great forsaking of something dear to them, something that the world has a line on them through, something that they're allowing in their lives which keeps them as "a friend of the world." The world is enmity with Me‚ and this compromise is not acceptable.
176. "It's not that bad," you might say. But it's just the start of greater compromises which are pulling down the discipleship standard and are pulling the disciples and potential disciples right out of the Family and into the pits of Satan.
177. I must cleanse and rid the Family of this compromise, and the only way to do this is to raise the standard high and to give people the challenge once again. (End of message from Jesus)
178. (Peter:) This is very true. So much has happened over the years where folks have been in CM Homes but have not been disciples in spirit, disciples in heart, and their samples have dragged and pulled things down. It's really hurt the Family. Clearly, it's destroying the Family. I don't think anyone reading this is going to say, "Oh, no, no, the Family's right up there; we're all really doing great! What are you talking about‚ Peter?"
179. Listen, we all know it. You know in your heart that the Family's been sinking. And I think in your heart of hearts you know it's because we haven't, as a body, been truly living the truth of the Word.
180. (Dad:) Being a disciple is living the Word, the full Word‚ not just trying to meet the minimum of the rules and regulations laid down in the Charter.
181. The Charter is a wonderful guidebook; don't get me wrong. And if people lived the full Charter, if they took obedience to the max, then they'd certainly be full disciples! But what I'm talking about here is the tendency of some people to live the minimum of the Charter, the minimum standard of the specific rules that they know they have to keep to retain their Charter membership, rather than going all the way with the rules and responsibilities which are required, and which are actually more important, but which they think they won't be penalized for not keeping.
182. For example, I'm sure most people are pretty careful and diligent to follow the guidelines for sexual activity so they won't be excommunicated. That's good! But how many people are just as careful and diligent to follow the responsibilities of Charter members? Do you regard the "Thou shalt" as seriously as the "Thou shalt not" and try to live it every day?
183. The Charter has a lot of "thou shalt nots," a great number of rules and regulations, and it's good that you keep them. But you need to remember that the "thou shalts" are just as important—to live in accordance with the Word by applying its spiritual and practical principles to your daily lives. Being a disciple is more than abiding by the rules and regulations—it's living the Word in every way, loving the Lord with all of your heart and soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself‚ as the Law of Love commands.
184. A disciple lives the full Word, not just the minimum requirements laid down in the Charter. He doesn't love the Lord and his neighbor only by living communally and keeping the Home size rules, and the election rules, and the financial rules, and obeying the sex guidelines‚ and trying not to get excommunicated. It's good that you do these things, yes, but it's just as important that you do not leave the others undone, as Jesus said!
185. What did He tell the scribes and Pharisees? He said that in the keeping of the law, the Charter of their day, they had omitted the "weightier matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith." In other words, they'd left out faith and love‚ and their service for the Lord had instead become a blind following of the rules and ceremonies, to the point that if they picked some mint in their back yard, they'd put aside ten percent to tithe it.
186. Jesus came along to remind them of the greatest commandment and rule of all—love! To love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself! It's the rule by which He lived, and when you live that rule‚ you not only keep all the other rules and regulations‚ but you go far beyond them.
187. So‚ Family, that's what I'm here to remind you of today—of the fact that discipleship is living all the Word, not just the minimum of the rules of the Charter. You need to live the full Word!
188. That's one reason I started the Family—I got fed up with people who weren't living the Word‚ with church people who just kept the minimum of the rules, the Ten Commandments, and ignored the rest of the Word. Oh, maybe if they were one of those more dedicated church folks they'd try to keep more of the Old Testament rules and regulations‚ avoiding certain foods, or they'd try to keep some of Paul's admonitions about being separate from the world in some way, but they didn't keep the full Word. They didn't obey the full Word. They didn't live the Word! Most of them weren't even Old Testament Christians—they were just Ten Commandments Christians!
189. I started the Family with a bunch of radicals who believed that they could be disciples—followers of the Word in every way! The Family was built on the Word. We lived the Word, all of the Word, and that made news, because so few people had done it during the last 2,000 years‚ since the time of the Early Church. And as we've lived the Word, the Lord has given us more and more of it, because He's known that we would obey it, that we would be doers of His Word. When we stop doing the Word, the Lord will start cutting back His supply of the Word‚ and of a great many other things as well.
190. So don't be simply a Ten Commandments Christian or a Charter Christian; be a full-time disciple! Don't just read the Word and set it aside; live it every day! It's good that you get fed by the Word, and the Lord is thankful for that, but you also need to put His Word into action.
191. Look through "What Is Jesus Worth to You?" and count how many times it talks about living in the Word and living the Word. Look through "Obliterate Obstacon" and you'll see that Obstacon's purpose was to prevent you from living the Word. Look through "Focus on the Power" and you'll see that to focus and use that power, you must live the Word. Look through the "Conviction vs. Compromise" series and you'll see that it's all about living the Word—all the Word! Look through many other recent Letters, and hundreds of past Letters‚ and you'll see that they're all about living the Word in some way! Living in the Word and living the Word will not only make you a Charter member, but a disciple, a "follower of the teachings!"
192. There's nothing more important than believing and obeying the Word, because Jesus is the Word. In loving and obeying the Word, you're loving and obeying Him. You believe the Word as much as you live the Word. You believe Jesus as much as you obey what He's told you to do. So don't just believe and obey the minimum! Shoot for the stars, aim for the ultimate, and go all the way for God!
193. Study to show yourself approved unto God—a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed because he works to obey the Word, not just read it! He's more than a scholar, he's a workman! (End of message from Dad)
194. (Peter: ) I'm praying that sharing these messages and clarifications about your individual discipleship is getting through to you. My prayer is—and Lord please help it to be so—that all of you understand this about the spirit of discipleship‚ about your heart. It's very, very important that you do understand it.
Evaluation and Changes
In Progress
195. You might be wondering where all this is headed. Well, this slow sinking has gone on for too long‚ and now we have to get the standard of obedience back to where the Lord intended it to be all along.
196. Mama and I have spent nearly a month with all the COs and some VSs, and a major emphasis of our time together was directed at changing their outlook, mindsets‚ and unbalanced, lenient standard of judgment, helping them to see where they've been like indulgent parents, spoiling their children (their flocks). We have made it clear that they need to adjust their outlook and start to apply the Charter as it was intended. Most of the COs readily admit that they have been lenient, that they have not disciplined as they should have, that they have not used the authority granted them in the Charter to keep the level of obedience of the Charter member Family where it should have been.
197. Now as these ones return to their fields, they will be looking at the Homes and individuals in their areas, and they'll be taking action with those who they've known for a while should be moved to Fellow member status, put on PN, or even excommunicated. They're not going to be mean; they're not going to be hasty‚ unloving, or unfair; they're just going to be doing their jobs, the jobs they should have been doing for years.
198. There are some Charter members who have been trying to hold on to their CM status for a very long time, trying to make changes or improve their situations, but it has just not happened, for a variety of reasons. The COs and VSs have tried to give some of these brethren many chances and opportunities to improve in whatever areas they've been falling short in, but in some cases‚ they have not been able to move forward as much as is needed for them to remain in the CM Family.
199. Those who fit this description need to understand that they've had years to change. The Lord has given us all chance after chance with numerous warnings and explanations in the Letters. Even if some feel they haven't had as much personal shepherding or one-on-one help as they think they needed or should have had‚ still, our personal Shepherd, the Lord, has been giving us all detailed instruction, correction, direction and a very clear-cut explanation of what is expected of us. It's not like anyone can say they haven't had sufficient opportunity or information.
200. So if someone hasn't changed and is not allowed to stay in the CM Family, it's because he or she hasn't done the things necessary to maintain discipleship. In such cases, Mama and I have instructed the field leadership to use their Charter authority and responsibility to help these brethren understand that they are more suited to the Fellow member Family.
201. Mama and I are moving ahead with the new, with all those who want to follow! If you do, all the help you need is available to you through the keys and the prayers and support of your mates and loved ones. But if you don't feel that your faith or abilities are up to it, then now is the time to take serious stock and make your decision. Fellow membership is an option which could be the center of the Lord's will for you, and more suited to you at this particular time. We're praying that the Lord will help each of you to find the place that's right for you!
202. As I said, the COs and VSs have been instructed during these next months to help you with this, and to offer their counsel and prayers‚ especially for any who are not living up to the Charter membership standard. Please be open to their observations and counsel, and if they recommend that Fellow membership is the better place for you, then please listen to their reasons, to their explanation of the differences between your lifestyle and choices‚ and the discipleship standard as laid out in the Charter and Word‚ and please accept the place of service that best fits you. You'll be happier and more at peace, and we'll all be able to proceed on to the next steps that our Lover has for us.
203. According to the Charter, two out of three bodies (the Home‚ the Area Officers, and the COs) must agree in order for someone to be moved to Fellow membership. If your VSs or COs are recommending that Fellow membership is the proper place of service for you at this time, it's because they have already prayed about it and agreed with one of the other bodies‚ thus two bodies are in agreement.
204. As the COs and VSs take a look at the Homes and individuals in their area, they'll be measuring your performance by the Charter (the true intent of the Charter) and the New Wine, particularly the "Conviction vs. Compromise" series. To help you understand why it's fair that this standard be applied and why you are accountable, we are making available to you the Word compilation that was prepared for the Brazil Family when the basis of evaluation for their Homes was explained to them. ("What Is Full-time Discipleship," ML #3469.) Please study this compilation, as it will remind you where we're headed as a Family, and where you should be headed as an individual and a Home if you desire to remain in the Charter member Family.
Restructuring the Family
205. Throughout the next two years (2004-2005) the Family is going to radically change. We are going to root out compromise. We are going to become the discipleship force which the Lord has demanded that we become, for if we don't, we will fall by the wayside and become just another church or religious organization. Mama and I and the Family's top leadership are determined to do all we can to keep the ship of the Family afloat. We're going to repair the breaches and send it to sea once again, with no leaks, no damage, and with a complete refitting. We have laid out plans for the restructuring of the Family so that the Family of the future will be radically different from the Family of today.
206. The CM Family of the near future will be a Family of full-time, 110%‚ dedicated, obedient, completely sold-out disciples; no others will hold the title of CM. It will be a Family of maximizers, not minimizers. It will be a Family of doers and not just hearers. It will be a Family we can all be proud of. It will be a Family that not only does the job of witnessing, winning, and preaching the Word, but also of living the Word to the utmost. These changes are beginning now. We will not allow our ship to sink; we will not allow it to go down into the sea of oblivion and compromise. We'll fight with all that is in us to make the Family what God Himself wants it to be or we will die trying. Are you with us? Are you willing?
Increase in Minimum Home Size
207. While over the next months there will be more information about the restructuring of the Family, Mama and I want to give you advance notice that part of that restructuring will include an increase in the minimum Home size rule. This change works in conjunction with the other changes that are coming. We're giving you early notice about this, as we know this is an especially significant change that will affect each CM Home greatly‚ so we wanted to give you as much advance notice as possible.
208. Mama has given the Family two years of warning that a four-man Home is not sufficient when it comes to having a well-rounded missionary work, so it's not like this is the first time you've heard this concept. You should have moved toward building a bigger team as soon as you read that strong caution from Mama in the "Conviction vs. Compromise" series. But if you haven't, which many of you haven't, then please take heed to this alert and think and pray about this eventuality.
209. The Charter will be revised and the minimum Home size will be increased, but it's probably better that you not immediately begin to enlarge your team‚ because there will be more counsel coming that will help you to build a well-rounded team with the right kind of people, true disciples. Please keep this upcoming change in mind, ponder it, and keep it in your prayers.
210. Also, if you're planning to renew your contract on a small house, or you were thinking of renting a house that is just barely big enough for a small team of four voting members, we would advise against doing so‚ if it can be avoided. If‚ however, in reevaluating your preferences and goals, you feel that you would rather not live with a larger team‚ then your lifestyle is certainly more suited to Fellow membership, and therefore you should plan accordingly.
211. We will be getting more information to you as soon as we can on this, hopefully by April, but in the meantime, the touchstone to remember for the changes that will be coming to the Family and to each of us personally is that we're going for greater discipleship. We are strengthening the discipleship sample of the Charter member Family, and a very critical element of that is building strong communal Homes that are the sample of Jesus' and Dad's teachings that they should be. We're moving toward discipleship and discipleship Homes. So if you're looking to increase the size of your Home, which we expect many of you will be in the near future, please look for disciples, for those who are sold out and willing to live the Word and the true spirit of the Charter.
Closing
212. Mama and I pray that you will not feel alarmed or fearful when hearing about this restructuring of the Family. This is not a bad thing; it's a wonderful thing. The Lord has given tremendous solutions, and the future promises to be much brighter‚ as we follow and obey. Here is a message from our Lover that I pray will encourage you and help you to put things in perspective.
213. (Jesus:) I have not given up on the Family, and I am still investing much in the Family's future. I know the Family and the hearts of those who call themselves children of David, and there is much hope for change and victory.
214. What you must put your mind, heart‚ and hands to now is not toward thinking about what went wrong, in a lamenting and forlorn manner, but rather toward what you're going to do now, how you will continue the advance and inspire the troops forward. There will yet be much progress, and there is hope for a great turnaround. So do not despair when you look at some of the great weaknesses of the Family, for there are solutions‚ and I am more than eager to give them. (End of message from Jesus.)
215. (Peter: ) Dear Family, please know that Mama and I are praying fervently for you. We love each one of you very much and pray that you'll find it within you to take up the challenge the Lord has set before us. There is much more to come, and by His grace, we will march on to great victory as we rise like the Phoenix from the ashes of near defeat. We are claiming the keys of the Kingdom for your faith, conviction, and spiritual strength and renewal.
With love in our Husband, Peter
216. P.S. Please pray for Mama and me and our WS helpers as we work to prepare the material giving the further counsel and explanations regarding the changes that will come about in the Family. The major work of prayer and counseling was done at the Summit, and Mama and I are very thankful for the Lord's timing, as we were able to benefit from the wise counsel and channels of the COs and other leadership who attended. But there is still further prayer needed to confirm and fine-tune the details, as well as the writing of the GNs‚ so please keep this project in your regular prayer vigils! Thank you very much!
New key promises for the challenges ahead
Claim the keys of My 5D vision—enhanced focus from the fifth dimension—so you'll be able to see through My eyes and not your own.
My keys of 5D vision will eclipse your earthly vision so you'll see things the way I want you to see them.
My keys of 5D vision will instantly correct blurriness of vision, giving you enhanced focus and concentration!
Claim the keys of Guiding Light, that the path and decisions before you may be lit with the brilliance of My truth and My answers.
As you access and claim the keys of conviction, My truth will light a bonfire within your spirit that cannot be quenched by compromise.
Claim the keys of cleansing, so that your spirit and mind may be washed free of the past—past mistakes, past thought patterns, past mindsets, and past modes of operation.
The keys of the Kingdom will remove the scales from your eyes and will enlighten your vision to be in line with My vision.
The keys of conviction will eradicate any inroads or trenches of compromise—no matter how wide or deep the trenches.
Claim the companion keys of unswerving dedication, radical reality, and crazy faith, so you'll be able to rise to the challenge and changes ahead of you!
The keys of awareness and discernment will enable you to see in the spirit and not in the flesh.
The keys of revelation will open your mind and eyes to My supernatural answers and solutions.
When the mind or flesh struggles with letting go of the past, claim the keys of radical change so you can be the revolutionary I want you to be.
Claim the keys of God's mind, so you can access My heavenly thought power and think "outside the box" of your own mind.
When sensitivity threatens to smother your growth and need to change, call on the keys of resilience‚ so you'll be able to take correction and instruction in stride.
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