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In Reply to: copying Maria letter #666 is nothing new posted by Reposter on December 23, 2003 at 19:09:40:
51. Ultimately it's up to each of you to decide where your faith lies. The Enemy's attacks and tactics will only become more intense, more believable, more deceiving as time goes on. The Antichrist will resort to actual miracles--Satan will empower him to do miracles similar to those My children do, and many will be deceived--not only by the miracles, but by the cleverness of the lies, the cunningness of his words. These small attacks are only a foretaste. His attacks will only intensify with time in his attempts to lead people away from Me, to stumble them, to cause them to turn away from their faith. But I have warned you. I have prepared My children. And I must allow their faith to be tested. (End of message from Jesus.)
52. (Mama:) So where does your faith lie, dear Family? How will you take this test? Now that Tamar has humbly confessed her mistake and we've explained what happened, will you focus on her mistakes or on the Enemy's attacks on your faith?
53. Yes, Tamar made some mistakes. She went too far in some cases in her sincere desire to illustrate some of these demons and spirit beings. But the insinuations and twisting of those who are attacking her in this slideshow are far more vile and wrong in the sight of God‚ because they're distorting things to imply that God's Words aren't real. It's part of the Enemy's attempts to bury the truth and wonders of the spirit world, as well as keep the horrors of Satan from being exposed for what they are.
54. This isn't just an attack on Tamar's art, but on the truth and the Word, with its true goal being to destroy your faith in prophecy and in me as the wine taster. So resist these attacks in the spirit and fight back! Go to the Word. Claim the keys! "When your faith has been shaken by doubts, lies, and slander through the mouths of your enemies, use the keys of testimony and conviction to take the attacking initiative. When Satan bombards you, stand up and fight!"
(Jesus:) The Family will be pushed to the limit to try their faith. The faithful will stand in the end. Those who remain will be stronger than ever, and well able and ready to build the greater church. Those who leave will be happier for their choice, although even some of them will be used of Me to purge, purify, and make white the Family. There will be yet more apostates, more detractors with outlandish "stories" to test and try the hearts of the children of David. (ML #3361:61, GN 957).
What it all comes down to.
55. I'm sorry that this presentation by our detractors made it look like the prophecies in the GNs are contrived and thus can't be believed. But really, in spite of the mistakes made on Tamar's part, it's still a test that the Lord is allowing, because we are so blessed to receive so many of His Words, so many revelations from the spirit world. Granted, some of them are a bit far-out. Some of them take time for us to absorb, because they're new and wild and really different.
56. But what it all comes down to is, do the Lord's Words work for you? Do they bring you comfort? Do they give you strength? Do they have the answers you need? If so‚ then that's your answer. No matter what the Devil does to try to discredit them‚ you can stand firm, knowing that they work in your own heart and life, and they are real.
57. And continuing with that line of thinking, do the pictures on the GNs help to illustrate the Lord's Words and the concepts He's explaining, the revelations He's giving? Of course, they fall far short of the realities of the spirit world, but that's why the Lord says that "eye hath not seen," because much of it He's keeping as a surprise! But at least the art is something, illustrating it in a way that we can understand and remember and retain as illustrations of the concepts the Lord instructs us about.
58. If that's the case, and you know it works, then what does it matter if the picture or portions of it were adapted so that our dear artist could realistically complete the artwork needed to illustrate the Lord's Words? If anything, you should thank her for being humble enough to not feel like she has to do it all herself, for your sake.
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59. (Jesus:) There will always be mistakes made --by the people you live with, by people you love and respect, by people you look up to--no matter how hard everyone tries to do the right thing. That's because you're human and not perfect. It's part of My plan for mistakes to happen‚ to remind you and everyone that only I am perfect, and remind you how much you need Me. You must remember that; otherwise, between now and the time I come back, the Enemy and even your own carnal mind and nature will supply plenty of reasons for you to quit, to be stumbled, or to lose faith. There will always be tests and temptations to quit. As there have been in the past, there will continue to be so today and in the future. You must decide where your faith lies. Is it in the infallibility of imperfect men and women, or is it in Me and My perfect control and ability to make even bad things--including mistakes, sins, or errors--work for your good?
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More messages on art and the Enemy's attacks
60. (Mama:) Following are more points to consider and words of wisdom from our wonderful Husband and dear Dad.
61. (Jesus:) The Enemy knows that many of you struggle with the explanations of the spiritual warfare already. You are sometimes tempted to feel that the descriptions of the demons and spirit helpers are overdone‚ or something that goes just a bit too far. He would love to push you over the edge with this train of thought to the point that you don't believe My warnings and instruction about those who fight you, and you don't call on those who could help you. Thus the Enemy would have gained a great advantage in his fight against you. That's his hope, his goal.
62. That's what he's trying to do in discrediting My Words, and specifically the revelations that I have blessed you with, My children of David. He doesn't like being exposed, so he'll try anything to keep you from believing the things I've revealed to you about the reality of the spirit world. Don't give away your advantage in the spiritual warfare through unbelief of what I've revealed to you! Call the Enemy's bluff! Try My Words, and see if they are not true. For if they are put to the test in faith, you will find that they do work, the Enemy is exposed‚ and victory is yours! (End of message from Jesus.)
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63. (Dad:) It's just like the Devil to throw a curve ball like this! He'll use whatever tactics he can, employ whatever means he can, and spread whatever stories he can‚ to sow doubt and to hurt the Family's faith.
64. The Enemy is fighting--and fighting hard--for the souls of the Lord's children. He's employing whatever means he can to pull Family members away from the Lord, to weaken their faith. This latest attack is just another one of the distortions of the truth that he's inspiring folks to circulate around the Family in an attempt to hurt people's faith.
65. The notion that the visions and messages in the GNs are based on System artwork is a lie spun in the depths of Hell. It's a very subtle one and a very believable one, especially when these folks have dug up the pictures to "prove it." But what they don't know is that it's just the opposite in reality. The messages and visions are received first--usually by a completely different channel--and then when Tamar is praying about the artwork and how to capture the message in a picture, the Lord will often lead her to use other pictures as her reference. Yes, there have been times when Tamar herself has gotten the vision and the Lord has shown her to use some of the reference material she's seen, but it's been under His inspiration and in a very small number of cases.
66. Just because she's using reference material, even if the picture she draws is almost a complete copy, that doesn't make the message or vision or spiritual realities any less real or true. Her artwork is a vehicle for people to be able to picture in their mind's eye what the Lord's talking about, the vision He's given, the spirit helper or demons He's revealed. And as we all know, and as the Lord has said about many of our spirit helpers and even some of the demons, they can often take on different forms. Obstacon, for example, appears as a fox, a handsome man, and an obese blob‚ but those are only three of his forms and there are many others.
67. Folks often forget, too, that many of these demons and spirit helpers have been around for a long time, and we're not the only ones in the world who have ever seen them. Many people, even those in the world, get glimpses of things or people in the spirit. Artists, even those who don't know the Lord, are usually spiritual types, and some of the things they draw are actual beings they've seen in the spirit or that they've been inspired to draw, whether that inspiration came from above or below.
68. If anything, this attack on our artwork should encourage you, because the Devil only fights what he's afraid of. If the pictures Tamar drew and the artwork she produced wasn't filled with the spirit and the essence of the New Wine, then the Enemy wouldn't fight it and try to discredit it. He fights it because he knows it's powerful, because he knows it helps people grasp the Word better, and because it's filled with the Lord's Spirit!
69. So that should encourage you, Tamar, knowing that you're on the right track, you're capturing the spirit of the Word, and that's why your work is a threat to the Enemy. Praise the Lord that you're doing something right, and that's why the Enemy's fighting! Fight to rise above! That's the first step to defeating the Enemy and ruining his ugly plans. (End of message from Dad.)
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70. (Jesus:) Who's to say that these other artists that Tamar has been copying have not had visions and seen these same helpers and demons? The spirit world is not a fantasy but a reality. When I led Tamar to images of it which I quickened to her, I was confirming that it was an image close to the reality of the spirit world, or at least close to one of the realities. Some of these spiritual beings can take on many forms, some which would be too difficult or scary to put down on paper. (End of message from Jesus.)
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71. (Jesus:) Most of the great and famous artists of the past used models to copy the human form or to copy nature, and their students copied them to learn how to draw well. All artists are copy artists, for only I am the true Creator. Some artists have used their talents to glorify Me and others to glorify themselves, or worse‚ the Devil. But no matter what, all inspiration comes from the spirit realm. Because some of the artists Tamar copied from got their inspiration from the dark side of that realm, their art is on the dark side. But Tamar has taken some of these dark pictures and given them light, exposing the Enemy in the process. She sought Me about the needed changes and used them to glorify Me and portray My Words and present them in their true light.
72. Eye hath not seen, neither is it revealed to man the glory and beauty of My realm--nor the awful ugliness of the netherworld--but through inspired art you can capture snippets of it. The only thing Tamar's art is doing is sparking the imaginations of men and opening their eyes to the Spirit, which has been wonderful, and I am pleased with it. (End of message from Jesus.)
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73. (Jesus:) Here's something that is a bit humbling for any artist to admit, but no artist can draw everything perfectly. Some can draw faces or hands; some can draw beautiful background scenes or can create the perfectly shaped and proportioned body; while others can draw animals so lifelike they almost seem to move. No artist, though, can do everything perfectly, and many can only do one or two of these exceptionally well.
74. In Tamar's case, it is difficult for her to proportion hands and bodies in unusual poses or angles, and even though she has visualized the picture I have given her to create and she sees it in her mind's eye‚ it is still very difficult to get it "just right" on paper. So she must do as most artists do--if she cannot avoid drawing such pictures, she must either ask for the help of another artist to draw the parts that are difficult or nearly impossible for her to get correct, or she must rely on reference material to help her get those particular things correct. This does not take away from the picture I have given or the accuracy of what was drawn. If anything, it enables the artist to more accurately illustrate My concept and image than if they tried to do it totally on their own. (End of message from Jesus.)
75. (Mama:) If you're still wondering about the validity of the Lord's Words after hearing this explanation, then please go to the Lord personally and ask Him to speak to you about it. If your faith is shaken and your trust is wavering, you need to get it sorted out with Him, or else the doubts will continue to grow and will pop up and haunt you in any situation where you really need to be able to rely on your faith. So ask the Lord your questions. Get His answers. Nurture your faith. Keep it‚ preserve it--not by closing yourself off, but by opening yourself up to our wonderful Husband and Lover Who understands all things‚ and can give you the explanations and answers that will make things right again.
76. Remember, just because something seems to be reality, that doesn't mean it is. The Enemy can make things seem very real too. But what is the true reality? What really works for you in your life? If it's the Lord's Words, then don't let anything cast doubt on them! Peter and I are praying for you and claiming the keys of faith and peace for you.
We love you dearly. Always yours in our wonderful Husband,
Mama
Questions to ask the Lord
77. (Prayer:) I praise You, dear Love, and thank You for these words and for setting things straight. Now that I've read Your written words to the Family as a whole on this, I'd like to get Your personal words to me as well. I call on the keys of prophecy and enlightenment. I claim Your promise that says no matter how we feel, if we claim the keys of yieldedness, You will cause us to be open, receptive channels to receive Your full counsel. Please take away my own thoughts and ideas and speak to me about the following questions:
1) After hearing this news and reading this explanation, how is my faith doing? Is there anything I need to get sorted out with You? Are there any questions still on my heart that I need to ask You about? If so, can You please give me the questions and also answer them for me?
2) You've told us that the lies of our detractors will increase as time goes on. Knowing this will happen, how can I nurture and preserve my faith? I want to stay open to You. Please give me a personal plan for the best way to do this.
(Note: If applicable, please ask the Lord the following:)
3) I admit that I'm sometimes tempted to believe our detractors' words and advice over Your Word and the things that Mama and Peter tell us. I sometimes struggle with believing certain specifics in Your Word. Why is this? What can I do about it? What do You want to tell me about this?
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(Jesus:) Faith is a gift of the spirit that many of you, sad to say, have all but lost. You've lost your childlike faith to believe, to receive‚ to grow, and to see things through My eyes. Many of you have chosen the logical, analytical, carnal, fleshly road, and you've been walking that path for so long that it's now very difficult for you to see things in the spirit. Many of you have become dull and familiar with the spiritual realm after hearing about it for many years, and now there is a great wave of those of you who have turned toward the road of your carnal mind, choosing the road of skepticism over faith.
Yes, you do believe in angels and demons, but you take it only so far and no further. You have a hard time believing the realm of the spirit actually affects the physical realm so powerfully. So because you don't believe that, you have a hard time accepting the revelations of demons, spirit helpers, and the like. Most of you are content to just look at the demons and angels as far-off beings who don't really affect life on Earth. It's sad, but true. This isn't the case with everyone, but it's quite a widespread mentality--the rejection of hearing things explained in spiritual terms and instead wanting to sort out in your own mind how it all makes sense. This lack of faith is prevalent in many areas of your lives, not just the rejection of the spiritual warfare.
It's precisely because the Enemy is fighting so hard, and you haven't raised a standard against him by strengthening your spirits with the Word, that you are lacking in faith, and because you don't really realize it, you are becoming prey to his devices. The spiritual warfare has intensified and the ante has been upped, and My Words and truth do need to be explained more clearly now than ever before, because the Enemy fights it harder than ever. But oh, how I wish that you, My children, would return to the simplicity of My Spirit, to the faith of little babes sucking to receive My Words!
You must see things in the spirit! You've got to choose to see things with the eyes of faith, because there's so much that can never be explained in carnal or fleshly terms. There's so much about the dynamics of the spirit, My spiritual gifts, and the workings of the world of the spirit that you will never understand with your human mind, and which will never make sense to the scoffer, the doubter, or the unbeliever. But that's where faith comes in--faith of a little child, faith as a grain of mustard seed, faith that can move mountains, faith that transforms you and gives you understanding.
To choose the road of faith is a choice you have to make! It's a choice no one else can make for you! But it's a vital choice, because when you lose your faith, then you have lost everything, and you're in danger of becoming alienated from My Spirit. (End of message.) (ML #3458:70-72, 74-75, GN 1043).
