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In Reply to: GN posted by Nomen Nescio on February 17, 2007 at 17:53:03:
On the individual level
69. It's important that as an individual you have the vision to become proficient in your ministry or ministries. It's important to understand that if we succeed in our offensive witnessing/winning attack, things are going to change drastically for the Family. If your Home cultivates a flock of just 50 GMs, AMs or other sheep you feed and shepherd regularly, then your Home, the way it functions, and the Home's focus will be very different from today.
70. To keep those folks inspired, witnessing, tithing, and well connected will mean that you have to invest in them. They will become part of your life on a daily basis. Not only will you be teaching them the Word and how to witness, you'll be witnessing with them. They will have teens that are interested and will need to be witnessed to and fed. They will have young children whom they will want to bring to your Home. You will be teaching the parents how to spiritually feed their children‚ how to care for their babies. You will be teaching them about health issues, childcare‚ home schooling, eating right, etc. You will be shepherding them and their children. Not that they will be living right in your Home‚ but they will all need you and your counsel and hands-on help on a regular basis.
71. As you are witnessing to them‚ they are going to have all kinds of tough questions—questions about the Family, about their lives, their work, their studies‚ their relationships with others, their love lives, depression, politics, finances, and a host of other things. They will test you and probe you and watch you to see if you are the real deal, if you practice what you preach. They will want you to meet and witness to their friends. They will come to love you and become part of you.
72. All of this will be a big change. These new people will expect a lot of you as a person. You will be their teacher, their elder in the Lord, no matter how young or old you are. You will become their spiritual mentors, their counselors, their confidants. You will become their friends, their brothers and sisters.
73. We all need to get prepared for this. And you, as an individual, need to understand the important role you will be playing in all of this in the not-too-distant future, and start getting prepared for it now. This means making a concerted effort to progress in your spiritual life, to grow in the use of the spiritual weapons‚ to overcome weak areas in your life. It also means becoming proficient in your ministry, so that you will be able to teach others. It means making a commitment to the winning team the Lord has called you to be a part of. It means striving to become professional in your work, cultivating a solid work ethic and seriously studying the training material available so you will have what you need to make disciples out of the soon-to-be-reaped harvest.
74. (Question:) Aren't some Homes already preparing in this way and ministering to growing flocks?
75. (Jesus:) There are some who are doing a good job in the area of activating and building a flock‚ and there are many more who are in the beginning stages, but there are very few within the Family who have truly mastered this art. Even those Homes who have larger flocks and who have been putting in the time, hard work, love and prayer have not yet seen the full fruition of their labors. They have not yet experienced the full and very wonderful fruit-bearing harvest. They have reaped beautiful fruit here and there, but there is much more; they have not yet seen the glorious harvest that will come from their labors. These harvests of abundant fruit are what I am leading My Family toward.
76. Most FD Homes, however, have a ways to go when it comes to building a local church, an active and growing flock, and this is what I am referring to when I say that training and preparation is needed for the Family. I must open your eyes in the spirit and stretch your faith in order to get you ready to receive and believe that I have not just good or wonderful fruit in store for you, but tremendous fruit, fantastic fruit, and not just a handful but a harvest! Right now a Home is doing "wonderfully" if they have a flock of 10 or 20 sheep who are coming over for regular classes, let alone tithing‚ witnessing, and becoming part of the Family in every way. And that is wonderful! Each soul is precious to Me. Every person's life that you touch in a special way while out witnessing, through giving a Bible class‚ through personal feeding and follow-up, is exactly why I gave My life for you. But still, there is more! So while your flocks of today are good and you need to continue to care for them‚ minister to them, and be faithful with what you have, you can expect, and I will expect, much more growth in the future. That should be exciting!
77. Compared to what the future could be in the realm of Activated and how I want it to be, the sky is the limit! Some Homes and works are further along than others‚ but I call everyone to stretch their faith and focus their efforts if there is to be the explosion and expansion of your tents that I have promised. (End of message.)
78. It's been almost two years since the renewal period was launched, a time when the Lord asked each of us to reevaluate our spiritual lives, to forsake the things that were causing compromise and spiritual weakening in our personal lives as well as within the Family, and to make permanent lifestyle changes in line with 100% discipleship. In many ways, the renewal was the onset of the strengthening of the Family, and in order to maximize the benefits of that strengthening‚ we should continue to strive to live the spirit and goals of the renewal.
79. Mama and I would like to ask you to make a personal commitment to use these next 18 or so months to progress personally. Ask the Lord what areas you need to grow in and then apply yourself to improving in these areas. No matter what your ministry, ask the Lord to help you have the conviction and desire to learn more about your ministry, to become more proficient, more knowledgeable, better prepared to teach others.
80. Eighteen months is not a long time, not when we know that this might be the last such time we have to prepare for the major ministries of our future. Let's use it wisely, shall we? Let's commit to preparing for our witnessing offensive. Let's commit to getting ready, so that when we march against the Enemy, we will overrun him. Let's commit to winning the world for our loving Husband. Let's prepare today, so we can win tomorrow!
81. As Dad told us so many years ago, the Lord gives the message, which gives us the vision, the faith, and the courage to move forward. So let's listen to the following messages the Lord gave about this training period and our future:
You're preparing for the era of discipling!
82. (Jesus:) I'm getting you ready, My loves, to take your place on the world stage as My Endtime prophets, the reapers of the final harvest. I'm preparing you to take on your anointing as "the people of the keys," "the miracle workers," "the intimate brides of the King," or, as was prophesied so long ago, those who will be strong and do great exploits (Dan.11:32).
83. You're doing well, My loves. You're on schedule with your preparation. This time of preparation will pass quickly, however, and when it is over‚ there will be no turning back. At that time I want to be able to push you out in front, where you will have the attention of many, and all will be in place for a time of great reaping, great harvesting, great discipling.
84. This time of discipling and reaping will not be the final stage of your witness. It will, however, be the stage when you are prepared in spirit, when you are strong in your testimony of discipleship‚ when you have learned how to live My Word in your own Homes, and you are ready to teach it to many. It will be the days of teaching and training many to help you, before the final dark curtain is pulled, and the days of darkness cover the Earth. In those final dark days you must have many by your side—many who are strong, many who are instructed and who can turn around and instruct others.
85. You are preparing now, not for the final stage of your reaping, but for the time right before the final stage—a time just as crucial, for it is the time I have set aside for you to make disciples of all nations. This will be the time for you to teach many how to stand beside you in the final great and terrible days so that My children of faith and light and truth will stand victorious against the Antichrist and his forces.
86. In yourselves, the Family as you know it now, you are not strong enough. You must be strengthened, and I also need many more of you in order to fill the key roles that I have ordained for you to fill. So I have been purging you, strengthening you, testing you, making you white. And now you must prepare to bring many into your Homes, into your lives, into your folds, and instruct them while it is yet day. For the night comes quickly, when no man can work.
87. In the days of darkness, there will be great reaping‚ great miracles, but they will be miracles of salvation‚ miracles of survival. In those days of great darkness, there will not be time for extensive training and discipling. It will be "do or die," and many will cleave to you only because they have nowhere else to go. So you will have great‚ great flocks, and many to care for, and you will need the help of those you are going to win and train throughout this witnessing offensive, in this next era of your history.
88. So now, My loves, is the time to prepare for this next era of discipling. I'm asking you to prepare by strengthening your Homes, by working out the kinks so that you are smooth-running winning teams; by pouring into your children so that they can then help you to make disciples of all nations; by becoming more loving in your interactions with those in your Home; by strengthening yourselves as individuals in My Word; by taking My Word and examining it and living it.—Because very soon, sooner than you care to realize, you will be called to teach it. And I would not have you be like the churches, who teach My Word but live it not. No, I will only bring the flocks to those who are living it‚ who are examples of it, who can teach through their actions, who have become well versed in working out problems through My Word and through prophecy.
89. My loves, your future is great‚ glorious‚ busy and fruitful! But you must prepare now, you must work hard now, so that when it comes, you will be ready. You have been preparing for years, and little by little the vision has come into clearer focus. Now it is very clear‚ and also very close, and you must put your whole heart and mind and soul into finishing this lap of the race on time, so that you are ready for the great and mighty things I will do for you! (End of message.)
Forward to the future!
90. (Jesus:) In laying before you this "pre-attack plan," I'm also clearly showing you the length of time that I'm giving you to prepare and to get ready for what is to come—the future that I've promised you. Your future is at the door, and these 18 months are a threshold which you must cross before you can receive the full fulfillment of My promises.
91. The fulfillment of My promises to you about your fruitfulness and the miracles that I will do through you will climax during the days of the Great Tribulation—those last three-and-a-half years before I return. But there are many miracles, signs and wonders on the horizon before you, My loves, before the final countdown begins. I wish for you to walk boldly forward and to claim what is rightfully yours. I want you to steal from under the very nose of your Enemy the souls and captives that are presently within his clutches.
92. The skill, the boldness, the faith and the vision that you need for the daring rescue missions and thrilling miracles I will call you to perform will not be possible unless you use the time I have given you wisely, stocking up on the oil of My Spirit, preparing as a "wise virgin" (Mat.25:1-13), so that you will be ready to move forward at the sound of My bugle call.
93. During these next 18 months you will be moving forward and progressing, yes, but your focus must be on consolidating and strengthening, so that when the offensive attack is launched, your forward movement will be accelerated, at light speed, and your efforts unified, as one body bearing down on the strongholds of your enemy.
94. Your attack must be coordinated‚ but this requires training today. It requires in–depth and concentrated study of My Word; it requires focused and consistent use of the spiritual weapons, so that when the time comes to strike, you will be a lean, mean spiritual fighting machine. To achieve this goal, each of you must train with the same weapons, with the same intensity. Each of you must absorb‚ study and obey the same New Wine that has been poured forth to all of you. Each of you must spend intimate time in the bedchamber with Me, your Husband, and Commander in Chief.
95. The days ahead will be days of concentrated training, concentrated input, concentrated stretching, and as a result, dynamic growth. If you feel the spiritual battles intensifying, don't wonder or fear, but see each battle as an opportunity to become proficient with your spiritual weaponry and to deal your Adversary a mortal blow. Rejoice in the battles‚ rejoice in the strengthening and the training that they afford you, which will ultimately result in your victory and triumph over Satan and the gates of Hell.
96. I'm excited about the next 18 months and looking forward to them, and you should be too! Training, strengthening, and stretching is a good thing. It results in stronger muscles, quicker reflexes, proficiency with your weapons‚ a greater knowledge and understanding of battle tactics, greater unity and camaraderie with those you're training with, a greater dependence on Me, and much more.
97. You will very likely not have such days of relative peace and the time to practice and train and hone your spiritual fighting skills again, for when the offensive attack is launched, it will be a declaration of all-out war against Satan and his system‚ and the battles will rage.
98. You're tempted to tremble and fear at the thought of such ongoing spiritual warfare, but if you use the time I'm giving you to become proficient in the art of war, and to learn and apply all that I'm revealing to you in My Word, you will truly enjoy the battles, you will enjoy fighting, you will love defeating your Enemy, because you will be winning.
99. I have called you not only to fight, but to win! This is the destiny of the children of David! This is the future that awaits you—a glorious future of conquest, triumph and victory over evil. Your future is to be conquerors, winners and overcomers, as you march forward from one field of conquest to the next, routing the Enemy and claiming the souls of men for My Name.
100. What you are preparing for during these next 18 months is the fulfillment of the promises of the future—power to work miracles, an abundance of finances so that you can enact the plans I give you, Activated becoming a household name, countless numbers flocking to you for the words of truth I give to you freely, foretelling the fate of kings and nations, etc. My loves, all that I have promised is yours, if you will do your part to obey My counsel and instruction to you to use these next 18 months wisely.
101. It's true that for some of you 18 months can seem like a long time, and you may think that you have time before you have to put serious thought into strengthening your winning team and your own spiritual life, and take action accordingly.
102. It is not given to the Enemy to foresee My plans for your future, yet he knows that as the End draws near, each day is important, and his biggest wiles against you will be those of procrastination and lethargy, and discouragement at seeming obstacles or hindrances. If he can get you to yield to the spirit of Lethargy, or to let Obstacon or Apotheon hinder you and weigh you down, if he can cause you to despair when you face unexpected challenges or battles, then he knows that he has a chance of hindering or delaying My will for you being fully performed.
103. So I ask you to rise up with the power of the keys and to give no place to his attacks of lethargy or discouragement. He has tried these attacks on you before and was very nearly successful in defeating you. Now that you are aware of his ploys, you must be all the more vigilant against him and active in your obedience to Me. Rise up with the power of the anointing of obedience that I've given you. Claim the anointing and use it in your lives. Make My Words a reality‚ for it is when you do that, that the impossible becomes possible‚ and the locked gates vanish into thin air before your eyes.
104. I have placed at your disposal all the power and strength you need in order to fulfill My will and to prepare yourselves in heart, body, mind and spirit. I have given you both the spiritual weapons and the practical aids you need, and I have given each of you the secret weapon of a personal direct link with Me, through which you can know My mind and know exactly which areas of your life you need to grow in.
105. I have given you My Word in great abundance, and I will continue to pour forth all that you need. So do not be weary of sucking and receiving and absorbing My truth, but open your hearts and spirits with even greater desire and focus to the spiritual truths I reveal to you. Each and every word I give is for a purpose. I am not superfluous. Every single word I give to you, My brides, is life and power, and will transform your life when put to use.
106. I am in control, My loves. I am your Coach, and I am your Commander in Chief. I will train you and give you all that you need, personally and collectively as a Family, in order to become the vibrant, skilled and unified disciples and warriors I need you to be. I will lead you on to great victories. I will do things for you that no man has ever done or seen in the history of the Earth. I and the hosts of Heaven are at your beck and call, for we fight beside you in this battle. You are not alone.
107. Forward to the future, I say! Forward, march! (End of message.)
Art by Tamar
Copyright © 2006 by The Family International
