A Job Well Done! A New Year's Eve Shocker! NRS11
A Job Well Done! A New Year's Eve Shocker! NRS11 — (4 pages, 874K) — Scan from The Mo Letters Vol. VI
"A JOB WELL DONE!"--A NEW YEAR'S EVE SHOCKER!--BY FATHER DAVID 31 DEC. 1978 NRS11 DFO766
1. BELOVED, WE HAVE HAD OUR GOOD YEARS OUR FAT YEARS & OUR FAMOUS YEARS, OUR POPULAR YEARS & OUR PROSPEROUS YEARS! I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE NOW ENTERING INTO OUR WORLDWIDE-PERSECUTION LEAN YEARS. JONESTOWN IS THEIR EXCUSE TO ATTACK ALL THE CULTS, & THE CULTS ARE THEIR EXCUSE TO ATTACK US--BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ONE OF THEM THAT PREACHES CHRIST LIKE WE DO!
2. WE'RE BEGINNING A NEW YEAR, & I WOULD SAY THAT WE COULD TAKE THE SCRIPTURE FOR OUR NEW YEAR FROM THE PASSAGE IN MATTHEW 10 WHERE JESUS WAS WARNING HIS DISCIPLES: BE AS WISE AS SERPENTS & HARMLESS AS DOVES," BECAUSE "THE WORLD WILL HATE YOU" & TRY TO KILL YOU!
3. SO, WHY HAS ALL THIS HAPPENED? SURELY IT IS NOT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF US--WE'RE ONE OF THE SMALLEST RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN THE WORLD! IT'S NOT THAT OUR NUMBERS ARE SO GREAT, BUT WE ARE SO MILITANT & SO ACTIVE & SUCCESSFUL! WE GET AROUND MORE THAN MOST CHURCH MEMBERS, WE PREACH MORE THAN MOST CHURCH MEMBERS, WE DISTRIBUTE MORE GOSPEL THAN MOST CHURCH MEMBERS, WE WIN MORE SOULS THAN MOST CHURCH MEMBERS, & WE GET MORE PUBLICITY THAN MOST CHURCH MEMBERS OR OTHER GROUPS! THERE'S HARDLY ONE OF THESE OTHER SECTS THAT IS AS COMMONLY & CONSTANTLY NAMED IN THESE ANTI-SECTS ANTI-CULTS ARTICLES AS MUCH AS US!
4. WE HAVE HAD OVER 3 MILLION CONVERTS, & WE COULD COUNT ALL OF THEM AS MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY! THEY ARE MEMBERS OF GOD'S FAMILY, THE SPIRITUAL FAMILY OF THE LORD. IF THEY'RE SAVED, THEN THEY ARE HIS CHILDREN & THEY ARE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY. BUT ALL ARE NOT MEMBERS WITH WHOM WE KEEP IN REGULAR TOUCH, SAD TO SAY, AS FAR AS WE KNOW,--BUT MAYBE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE STILL TAKING THE LETTERS--THE 3 MILLION A MONTH!--THAT'S OUR CIRCULATION!
5. IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY CHURCHES OR SO MUCH POWER & SO MUCH WEALTH, ALTHOUGH THEY ACCUSE US OF THAT TOO.--IT'S NOT SO! SOMETIMES I WISH IT WERE! MOST DENOMINATIONS OR RELIGIOUS GROUPS HAVE THOUSANDS OF CHURCHES WHEREAS WE ONLY HAVE LESS THAN 900 HOMES!--BUT THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!--THEY ARE IN 80-SOME COUNTRIES WITH HALF-A-DOZEN PEOPLE AVERAGE IN EACH ONE, WHO ARE VERY ACTIVELY, MILITANTLY & LOVINGLY SPREADING THE GOSPEL!--AND WE'VE BEEN IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES!--"A LITTLE LEAVEN HAS LEAVENED THE WHOLE LUMP!" (1CO.5:6.) HALLELUJAH! WHAT JESUS WARNED ABOUT OUR ENEMIES, THE DEVIL COULD WARN ABOUT US! HA!
6. WE HAVE "SATURATED THE WORLD WITH OUR DOCTRINE," & WE HAVE "TURNED IT UPSIDE-DOWN!" (AC.5:28; 17:6.) (WELL, WE'VE TRIED TO TURN THEM RIGHTSIDE-UP!) IS IT OUR NUMBERS THEY'RE AFRAID OF?--WE ARE ONE OF THE SMALLEST OF ALL THE GROUPS, BUT ONE OF THE OLDEST & EARLIEST OF THE GROUPS THAT THEY NAME!--BUT!:
7. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OF THESE GROUPS WHO HAVE GOTTEN OUT AS MUCH LITERATURE--OVER 300 MILLION COPIES TO-DATE! I DON'T KNOW OF ANY WHO HAVE BEEN IN AS MANY COUNTRIES, WHO HAVE SATURATED AS MUCH OF THE WORLD WITH THEIR DOCTRINE & WHO HAVE RECEIVED AS MUCH PUBLICITY AS WE HAVE!--YET WE ARE THE SMALLEST ONE OF THE BUNCH! THINK OF THAT! IT'S A MIRACLE OF GOD! AND IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL COMMENTARY ON YOUR FAITHFULNESS & YOUR DILIGENCE & YOUR HARD WORK IN HELPING TO GET IT OUT! PTL! GBY!
8. SO, WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? WHY DO THEY ATTACK US MORE BITTERLY THAN ANY? WHY DO THEY HATE US SO?--BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE THE BEST JOB, WE HAVE REACHED THE MOST PEOPLE WITH THE MOST POWERFUL MESSAGE!--AND AS FAR AS THEY ARE CONCERNED, WE HAVE DONE THE MOST DAMAGE TO THEIR REPUTATIONS & THEIR CHILDREN!--SO THEY HATE US!
9. IT'S NOT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF US OR BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY CHURCHES, OR SKYSCRAPERS IN NEW YORK OR HOTELS IN SWITZERLAND OR OFFICE BUILDINGS IN LONDON LIKE SOME OF THOSE OTHER FOLKS, THEY REALLY OWN THE PROPERTY! IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE 324 MILLION PIECES OF LITERATURE THAT WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED & THE 20 BILLION PEOPLE WE'VE PREACHED TO!
10. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN AS VOCAL & AS HONEST IN ATTACKING THE DEVIL'S SYSTEMS & RELIGIONS & CHURCHES & HYPOCRITES & RICH GOVERNMENTS, LIKE THE UNITED STATES & WESTERN EUROPE, & IT'S ECONOMIC & POLITICAL SYSTEMS! WE ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST POLITICALLY & ECONOMICALLY ANTI-SYSTEM-ORIENTED OF ALL! 11. I HAD A PREACHER COME UP TO ME WHEN I WAS ATTACKING THE SCHOOL BOARD IN MIAMI, FLORIDA FOR TEACHING NOTHING BUT EVOLUTION WHILE I WAS PREACHING NOTHING BUT ANTI-EVOLUTION! THIS SELF-RIGHTEOUS PHARISEE OF ONE OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES, AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN, CAME UP TO ME WITH FIRE IN HIS EYES READY TO FIGHT! HE SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST PREACH THE SWEET LOVING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!!--AND LAY OFF ALL THIS FOOLISHNESS ABOUT EVOLUTION & ALL!"
12. WE HAVE BEEN MORE LIKE THE PROPHETS OF GOD THAN ANY OTHER OF THESE SMALL NEW RELIGIOUS GROUPS-CERTAINLY MORE SO THAN THE BIG ONES!--BECAUSE WE HAVE CUT & SLASHED & RIPPED RIGHT & LEFT & TORN RIGHT IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD! THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PROPHECIES EVER UTTERED OVER ME:
13. "I SHALL MAKE THEE AS A SHARP-TOOTHED THRESHING INSTRUMENT IN MY HAND WHICH SHALL RIP WITH VIOLENCE THE PILLOWS FROM UNDER THE ARMS OF THOSE WHICH SIT AT EASE IN ZION!"--THE CHURCHES & THE SYSTEM!--AND THE JEWS OF ZION TOO!--HA! HAVE WE DONE THAT?--WE SURE HAVE!--THANK GOD! WE'VE PLASTERED THE WORLD WITH THE TRUTH!
14. WHY DOES SUCH A TINY GROUP HAVE SO MANY ENEMIES? WHY ARE ALMOST ALL THE WORLD'S JEWRY & CHURCHES & SYSTEM OUT TO GET US? THERE IS HARDLY ANY GROUP IN THIS WORLD THAT HAS SO MANY ENEMIES! WE ARE EXPERTS AT IT! WE PROBABLY HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD THAT HATE US THAN ANY RELIGIOUS GROUP THAT EVER LIVED! WHY!
15. BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB! WE HAVE TOLD THE TRUTH, & THE DEVIL HATES TO BE EXPOSED & HE HATES TO HAVE HIS PEOPLE EXPOSED! WE HAVE REACHED & INFLUENCED MORE PEOPLE WITH THE TRUTH THAN ALMOST ANY GROUP IN HISTORY!--AND WE HAVE WON A LOT OF YOUNG DISCIPLES WITH THIS TRUTH! WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB, BELOVED!--AN EXCELLENT JOB, & GOD IS PROUD OF US!--AND THE DEVIL HATES US!
16. WE'VE ALSO HAD OVER 2,000 BIRTHS IN THE FAMILY, & RIGHT NOW NEARLY 1800 CHILDREN, NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF OUR TOTAL FAMILY ARE YOUNG CHILDREN! PTL! GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH KIDS! THE AVERAGE HOME IS ONE MATED COUPLE TWO SINGLES & TWO CHILDREN. IS THAT WHY THEY HATE US, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY CHILDREN?--THEY'RE ALL FOR BIRTH CONTROL & MURDERING BABIES, SO MAYBE THAT'S ONE REASON THEY HATE US! THEY'RE AFRAID WE'RE GOING TO OVER-POPULATE THE WORLD!
17. WE ALSO PROBABLY WIN MORE SOULS THAN ANY MAJOR DENOMINATION EVEN AT THE PRESENT LOW RATE OF ONLY 33,000 A MONTH TO AS HIGH AS OVER 100,000 A MONTH IN THE DAYS OF OUR GREAT POPULARITY & GOOD PUBLICITY, WHEN IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE POPULAR TO BE ONE OF US! THINK OF IT!: OVER 3 MILLION SOULS IN 10 YEARS! MAYBE THAT'S ONE REASON THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT US BECAUSE WE DO WIN A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE LORD! I'M SURE THAT'S ONE REASON THE DEVIL'S WORRIED ABOUT US!
18. OUR LIT-THAT'S ONE THING THEY FEAR, I'M SURE! WE HAVE BEEN LIKE THE PROPHETS OF GOD WE HAVE TOLD THE TRUTH WE HAVE SATURATED THE EARTH WITH OUR DOCTRINE WE HAVE TURNED IT UPSIDE-DOWN TO THEIR WAY OF THINKING, & WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF IT! 19. BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE FINISHED--AT LEAST I HOPE NOT! THERE WAS A TIME WHEN JESUS HIMSELF WONDERED IF EVEN THE 12 DISCIPLES WOULD GO AWAY, GO HOME & BACKSLIDE! BUT AS YOU LEAVE AN OLD YEAR, YOU USUALLY TRY TO TAKE A LITTLE STOCK ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED & WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, & THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SHOW YOU. 20. I THINK YOU CAN BE THANKFUL, MAYBE EVEN PAT YOURSELVES A BIT ON THE BACK, BUT ESPECIALLY THANK THE LORD FOR HOW HE HAS USED YOU TO HELP US GET THE JOB DONE! WE HAVE REACHED THE WORLD WITH OUR DOCTRINE ON ALMOST EVERY SUBJECT: POLITICS, CURRENT EVENTS, ECONOMICS, BUT ESPECIALLY THE GOSPEL, TO TRY TO TELL PEOPLE THE TRUTH IN WHATEVER SPHERE OF LIFE THEY NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT, & THE WORLD HAS HEARD ABOUT US!
21. THE WORLD HAS HEARD ABOUT YOU! THE WORLD HAS HEARD ABOUT OUR DOCTRINE, IT HAS HEARD ABOUT OUR LIT--IN FACT THEY HAVE EVEN SEEN PICTURES OF IT IN THEIR PAPERS & THEIR MAGAZINES!--THEY SEEM TO LIKE THE SEXY PICTURES THE MOST! IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAD THOSE DRAWN, SO THEY'D BE SURE TO HIT THE NEWS!--THE "GOOD" DON'T MAKE NEWS!--OF ALL THE PICTURES THEY COULD USE, THEY PICKED THOSE OF COURSE, THINKING THAT THEY WOULD MITIGATE AGAINST US, BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IN THEIR CHURCHES THAT SEX IS EVIL!
22. THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT ALL THEIR LIVES THAT SEX IS EVIL! SO IF THEY CAN CALL US "SEXY," THAT'S 10 COUNTS AGAINST US--MAYBE 90 COUNTS AGAINST US!--AND IF THEY CAN CALL US THE "PROPHETS OF DOOM & GLOOM," THAT'S THE REST, & THAT MAKES ABOUT A 100% CASE AGAINST US!--BECAUSE THEY HATE TO THINK ABOUT GLOOM & DOOM & THE END OF THE WORLD! BECAUSE AS FAR AS MOST OF THEM ARE CONCERNED, THAT MEANS THE END OF THEM!--AND IT WILL!--OR THEY'LL WISH IT WERE! SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO WISH IT HAD BEEN THE END!
23. BUT LAST YEAR WAS A GREAT YEAR OF TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR US!--IT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR GREATEST YEARS, IF NOT THE GREATEST! WE REACHED OUR GREATEST HIGH IN LITERATURE, WE REACHED OUR GREATEST HIGH IN SOULS, WE REACHED OUR GREATEST HIGH IN WITNESSING & WE REACHED OUR GREATEST HIGH IN BABIES!--HA!--EVEN THOUGH THE RNR NEARLY KNOCKED US FOR A LOOP FOR AWHILE!
24. NO WONDER THE DEVIL IS MAD!--NO WONDER HIS CHILDREN ARE FURIOUS! NO WONDER THEY ARE OUT TO GET US!--TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER GREAT YEAR! BUT WE DON'T REALLY NEED ANOTHER GREAT OR GREATER YEAR, IF WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OUR JOB & DONE AS WELL AS WE HAVE ALREADY DONE THE PAST 10 YEARS!
25. PERHAPS OUR NEXT 10 YEARS MAY NOT BE AS GLORIOUS! I'M SURE THE DEVIL & HIS CROWD ARE GOING TO TRY TO SEE TO IT THAT THEY AREN'T! 26. JESUS SPENT ONLY 3 1/2 YEARS IN HIS GLORIOUS POPULAR PUBLIC MINISTRY! HE WAS PREACHING THE GOSPEL, GETTING DISCIPLES, HEALING PEOPLE, FEEDING THE MULTITUDES, MINISTERING MIRACLES FAMOUSLY!--BUT THEN IN JUST ONE WEEK, HE WENT FROM BEING HAILED AS KING BY THE WHOLE CITY TO BEING CRUCIFIED BY THEM!--AND HIS JOB WAS DONE! HE WAS FINISHED.--HE HIMSELF SAID ON THE CROSS, "IT IS FINISHED!" HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED HIS TASK!--HIS WITNESS HIS SALVATION OF THE LOST!
27. PRAISE THE LORD, BELOVED!--IT IS NOW 1979, A NEW YEAR FOR US!--AND THE LORD HAS SAID IT'LL BE "THE LAST ONE LIKE THIS"!--WHATEVER THAT MEANS! I'M RECOUNTING THE VICTORIES OF THE PAST, BUT ALSO WARNING YOU OF THE DANGERS OF THE FUTURE! WE HAVE SCATTERED OUR SEED, WE HAVE SOWN & WE HAVE REAPED & WE HAVE HARVESTED, & WE HAVE DONE A MIGHTY JOB!
28. NOW THE ENEMY IS FURIOUS & OUT TO GET US & PERSECUTE US & STOP US IF HE CAN! PRAISE THE LORD FOR 1979! BUT I HAVE THIS GOOD NEWS TO TELL YOU, DESPITE MY WARNINGS: THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP US! THEY MAY BE ABLE TO SLOW US DOWN A BIT HERE & THERE. WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE AS FREE & ABOVE GROUND & IT MAY NOT BE AS EASY AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
29. BUT WE HAVE COME IN & SOWN & REAPED & ALREADY MADE OFF WITH THE HARVEST!--QUICKLY & WITH VERY LITTLE TROUBLE DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS! I BELIEVE NOW THAT THESE COMING YEARS, IF WE HAVE THAT MANY LEFT, ARE GOING TO BE TIMES OF GLEANING, GROWING, TEACHING, STRENGTHENING AND PARTICULARLY LEARNING HOW TO WITNESS IN OTHER WAYS THAN WE HAVE BEFORE.
30. YOU HAVE DONE SUCH A TREMENDOUS JOB, MAYBE IT WON'T HAVE TO LAST MUCH LONGER!--THINK ABOUT THAT! THE QUICKER WE GET OUR JOB DONE, THE QUICKER THE LORD CAN GO TO WORK & DO THE JOB WE CAN'T DO, SUCH AS JUDGE OUR ENEMIES & SEND UPON THEM THE PESTILENCES THAT THEY DESERVE FOR REJECTING HIM & YOU & HIS TRUTH! HE CAN THEN SOON SEND THE PUNISHMENT UPON THEM THAT THEY DESERVE FOR PERSECUTING YOU, SEND THE SORROWS & THE TROUBLES & THE TRIBULATION UPON THEM WHICH THEY DESERVE FOR TROUBLING YOU!
31. THE MORE I SEE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH, THE LESS I SEE THAT WE HAVE LEFT TO DO! PTL? LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. MANY GROUPS & ORGANISATIONS & CHURCHES & BUSINESSES & GOVERNMENTS ARE BRAGGING ABOUT WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED LAST YEAR & HOW MUCH MORE THEY PLAN TO DO THIS YEAR. I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT I HOPE WE WILL HAVE LESS TO DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY DONE SO MUCH!
32. THIS MUST ALSO BE A YEAR OF WATCHFULNESS, WAITING & PRAYING!:--"WATCH & PRAY!" (MT.26:41.) BE CAUTIOUS, NATIONALISE, REVOLUTIONISE, SECURITY-WISE! WE'VE CALLED IT THE NRS.--WHY DO WE SAY NATIONALISE?--BECAUSE WE FOREIGNERS ARE BEING DRIVEN OUT OF MANY COUNTRIES WHICH ARE NOT OUR OWN, & THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE & CARRY ON ARE YOU NATIONALS WHOSE COUNTRY IT IS, WHOM THEY CAN HARDLY DRIVE OUT! THEY MAY DRIVE YOU IN--TO JAIL--BUT THEY CAN'T DRIVE YOU OUT VERY WELL! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET OUT OF SOME OF THE COUNTRIES WE HAVE BEEN IN, BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION.
33. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DRIVEN INTO COUNTRIES WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN BEFORE, WHERE THEY NEED US EVEN MORE! WE NEGLECTED THEM--THEY WERE SMALL, INSIGNIFICANT, POOR, VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN TO US BEFORE. NOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE LITTLE ONES, NOT JUST THE BIG ONES. WE HAVE SATURATED THE BIG COUNTRIES, THE BIG GOVERNMENTS, THE BIG PEOPLES, THE BIG TONGUES--NOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET DOWN TO EVERY TONGUE, EVERY TRIBE & EVERY NATION!
34. WE MAY NOT ROLL AS RAPIDLY & AS FAST AS WE HAVE BEFORE. WE ROLLED VERY FAST FOR AWHILE, & WE SWEPT THE EARTH LIKE A TIDAL WAVE! NOW WE MAY MOVE IN SMALLER WAVES, MAYBE IN JUST LITTLE TINY RIPPLES! TIDAL WAVES ONLY OCCUR ONCE IN AWHILE: THEY ARE GREAT, TREMENDOUS, & THEY HAVE A TERRIFIC TEMPORARY IMPACT! BUT THERE ARE LITTLE WAVES OUT THERE IN THE WATER ALL THE TIME, LAPPING THE SHORES CONSTANTLY OF EVERY CONTINENT OF THE WORLD, OF EVERY ISLAND & MANY LANDS AROUND THE WORLD!
35. WE ARE GOING TO BE BROKEN UP IN SMALLER GROUPS FOR SECURITY, SMALLER FAMILIES MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND. PERHAPS IT WILL BE EVEN HARDER TO EARN A LIVING. "THEY THAT PREACH THE GOSPEL SHOULD LIVE OF THE GOSPEL"--(1CO.9:14.) BUT THEY CAN'T ALWAYS DO IT.--NOT EVEN PAUL COULD ALWAYS DO IT! SOMETIMES HE HAD TO GO TO WORK BECAUSE THE PEOPLE DIDN'T GIVE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT HIM, OR BECAUSE HE COULDN'T ASK ANYONE FOR IT ON THE FIELD.
36. A LOT OF US ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET JOBS IN THE COMING DAYS. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE IN MORE PLACES IN SMALLER NUMBERS, LESS OBVIOUS, LESS FAMOUS, LESS PUBLICISED & LESS POPULAR! THANK GOD! WE'VE HAD OUR DAYS OF POPULARITY & PROSPERITY & ALL THAT. NOW WE ARE GOING TO BE DRIVEN UNDERGROUND LIKE THE EARLY CHURCH. BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE THEY FLOURISHED!
37. THE ENEMY WAS NEVER ABLE TO WIPE THEM ALL OUT! THE BEST THING THEY SUCCEEDED IN DOING WAS TO DRIVE THEM OUT TO WHERE THE LORD WANTED THEM TO BE--IN OTHER PLACES! WHY SHOULD ALL THE CHRISTIANS BE BUNCHED UP IN JERUSALEM? WHY SHOULD THEY ALL BE BUNCHED UP IN ROME & THE MOST POWERFUL CAPITALS & CENTERS OF THE WORLD? THEY DIDN'T EVEN START THEIR MISSIONARY WORK UNTIL YEARS AFTER JESUS WAS GONE!--THEY GOT BOGGED DOWN AT HOME!
38. THE EARLY CHURCH DIDN'T EVEN START EVANGELISING THE WORLD UNTIL THEY WERE PERSECUTED! SEVERAL YEARS HAD PASSED, THEY WERE SO BUSY EVANGELISING JERUSALEM & BUILDING UP A BIG CROWD THERE, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM! THEY PRACTICALLY TOOK OVER THE CITY, & IT TOOK THEIR ENEMY HEROD & HIS SWORD TO DRIVE THEM OUT! THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD TAKEN OVER THE CAPITAL & THE COUNTRY, & SO NOW THEY HAD IT MADE.
39. THEY WERE POPULAR, THEY WERE FAMOUS, THEY HAD SATURATED THE LAND WITH THEIR DOCTRINE, TURNED IT UPSIDE-DOWN! SO THEY TRIED TO SETTLE DOWN & THINK, "WELL, WE'VE GOT IT MADE! WE'VE GOT THE JOB DONE! WE'VE ABOUT CONVERTED THIS WHOLE COUNTRY! SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN & ENJOY IT!" BUT OL' KING HEROD (THE GOVERNMENT!), INSPIRED BY THE DEVIL BUT ALLOWED BY THE LORD, PULLED OUT HIS SHARP-POINTED SWORD & BEGAN TO NEEDLE THEM TO GET ON THEIR FEET & GET GOING & MOVING AGAIN TO PLACES THEY HAD NEVER BEEN BEFORE!
40. FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY WENT TO ANTIOCH & ESTABLISHED AN ACTUAL MISSIONARY BASE! FROM THERE THEY EVANGELISED ALL ASIA!--AND THOMAS WENT TO INDIA, & ANOTHER TO JAPAN, & THEY BEGAN TO SCATTER ALL OVER THE WHOLE WORLD! I BELIEVE WE ARE NOW GOING TO BE FORCED TO GO INTO COUNTRIES THAT WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN BEFORE! WE MAY NOT REACH SUCH TREMENDOUS MASSES PERHAPS. WE MAY NOT BE AS FAMOUS & PUBLICISED IN AS MANY NEWSPAPERS, TELEVISION, MAGAZINES, RADIO, ETC., AS BEFORE.--BUT WE MAY BE THANKFUL FOR IT!
41. WE ARE GOING TO GO PLACES & REACH PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE NEVER REACHED BEFORE! IN SOME WAYS, IT IS GOING TO BE HARDER. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE INCOGNITO, ANONYMOUS, UNKNOWN, WORKING INDIVIDUALLY OR IN SMALLER GROUPS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RIDE A CREST OF POPULARITY & GOOD PUBLICITY & QUICKLY & EASILY WITH HARDLY ANY EFFORT REAP A HUGE HARVEST. 42. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO IN SILENTLY, QUIETLY, UNSEEN & UNHEARD, & PICK THEM ONE BY ONE!--AND THEY WHO ARE THE NATIONALS, WHO BELONG THERE & HAVE A RIGHT TO BE THERE & PREACH & TEACH & EVANGELISE, WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY ON AFTER US. I BELIEVE WE ARE GOING TO BE FORCED OUT OF WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE HAVE FINISHED THE JOB, INTO WHERE WE ARE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO FINISH THE JOB.
43. IT'S GOING TO BE SLOWER, HARDER, MORE DANGEROUS & MORE DIFFICULT, & THE GLEANING IS GOING TO BE FEWER IN NUMBER, BUT WE ARE GOING TO REACH MORE PLACES THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE, & MORE PEOPLES, MORE TONGUES, MORE TRIBES & MORE NATIONS! I BELIEVE IT!--BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP JUST BECAUSE THEY DRIVE US OUT OF ONE COUNTRY INTO ANOTHER! WE'RE GOING TO KEEP RIGHT ON GOING & PREACHING THE GOSPEL & LOVING & WOOING & WINNING SOULS TO CHRIST WHEREVER WE GO!--AMEN? PTL! HALLELUJAH!
44. THIS WILL BE OUR FUTURE THIS COMING YEAR: SMALLER GROUPS, SINGLES & SMALLER FAMILIES HIDDEN, UNKNOWN, ALMOST DISGUISED, UNPUPLICISED, UNIDENTIFIED SELAH HOMES, SOME WITH JOBS TO TRY TO SUPPORT THE HOME THAT OTHERS MIGHT FF OR DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL. 45. WE HAVE WON THE GREAT WAR & THE GREAT VICTORY, NOW WE MUST DO WHAT THEY CALL A "MOPPING UP" EXERCISE! WE HAVE WON MOST OF THE TERRITORY, WE'VE CONQUERED MOST OF IT, WE HAVE DONE MOST OF OUR JOB, WE'VE WON THE WAR! BUT THERE ARE STILL POCKETS OF RESISTANCE HERE & THERE, SO WE HAVE TO FINISH THE JOB BY MOPPING UP ALL THE PLACES THAT WE DIDN'T REACH.
46. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MOPPING UP TO DO! THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES WE HAVEN'T BEEN YET! BUT YOU SAY, "WELL, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES!" SO, WE'VE STILL GOT 180 TO GO! SOME OF THEM MAY BE PRETTY SMALL, HARDLY BIG ENOUGH TO TURN AROUND IN, BUT THEY'VE GOT SOME SOULS THERE WHO ARE WAITING TO BE WON!
47. SOME HAVE NEVER SEEN YOU PERSONALLY, BUT THEY MIGHT HAVE SEEN YOUR PICTURE OR HEARD OF YOU OR YOUR MESSAGE. SOME MAY HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY RECEIVED A LETTER, BUT I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GET THEM IN SOME PLACES WHERE THEY'VE NEVER HAD THEM BEFORE, & THEY'RE GOING TO SEE YOU & MEET YOU, PERSONALLY, PRIVATELY, QUIETLY, SOME PLACES THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE!
48. SO I'M HAPPY! I'M THANKFUL! I'M PRAISING THE LORD BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE'VE ALMOST WON THE WAR! WE'VE DONE OUR BIGGEST JOB! WE HAVE GOT THE BIGGEST PART OF IT BEHIND US! BUT YOU MAY SAY, "WAIT, DAD! YOU'RE TALKING LIKE WE'RE ABOUT TO FOLD UP OR SOMETHING, OR WE'RE NOW GOING DOWNHILL!" WELL, THAT'S THE EASIEST PART! ONCE YOU'VE CLIMBED UP THE MOUNTAIN, THEN YOU CAN JUST ROLL DOWNHILL!
49. YOU'VE MADE IT! YOU'RE OVER THE TOP! YOU'VE REACHED THE SUMMIT! THAT'S THE GREATEST THRILL WHEN YOU CLIMB A MOUNTAIN! I'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT REACHING THE SUMMIT. BUT I HAVEN'T SAID TOO MUCH ABOUT GOING DOWNHILL, HAVE I? BUT YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GET OVER THE TOP THERE'S NOTHING LEFT BUT THE OTHER SIDE! 50. AND IT'S DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY FROM THERE ON! IN SOME WAYS IT'S EASIER, QUICKER & SHORTER A LITTLE HARDER ON YOUR TOES & MORE DANGEROUS SOMETIMES BUT THE GLORY OF THE GREATEST VICTORY IS BEHIND YOU! MAYBE YOU'RE THINKING, "DAD, YOU'RE A FOOL TO TELL THESE PEOPLE THINGS LIKE THIS, THAT OUR GREATEST YEARS ARE BEHIND US!" I DIDN'T NECESSARILY SAY OUR GREATEST YEARS ARE BEHIND US, BUT I'M SAYING OUR MOST POPULAR YEARS, OUR MOST PUBLICISED YEARS & PERHAPS OUR EASIEST & MOST NUMEROUS YEARS.
51. SOME OF THE YEARS AHEAD MAY HOLD GREATER MIRACLES, GREATER MARVELS, GREATER INDIVIDUAL CONVERTS & GREATER MARTYRDOMS. PERHAPS THERE WILL NO LONGER BE THE GREAT MASSES & THE MASSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PAST. MAYBE WE WON'T HAVE AS MUCH QUANTITY AS BEFORE, BUT GOD HELP US TO HAVE MORE QUALITY! AMEN? IT'LL HAVE TO BE BETTER QUALITY IF IT'S GOING TO ENDURE & LAST & SURVIVE THE KIND OF OPPOSITION WE ARE GOING TO GET FROM NOW ON!
52. ONLY THE STRONGEST ARE GOING TO SURVIVE! THE LORD ALLOWED IT TO BE EASY FOR AWHILE, BUT NOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SO EASY ANY LONGER. OH, I THINK THERE MAY STILL BE SOME EASY FIELDS LEFT, & SOME ARE STILL FINDING THEM. I THINK THE PIONEERS & MISSIONARIES NOW ALREADY ABROAD IN SOME OF THESE PIONEER FIELDS, WHO'VE BEEN HAVING IT THE HARDEST SO FAR, ARE GOING TO LOOK BACK NOW & SEE HOW SOME OF US ARE NOW SUFFERING IN SOME OF THE PLACES WE OUGHT TO GET OUT OF, & THINK THEY NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD!
53. I USED TO SAY THIS ABOUT US LEAVING AMERICA: "ONE OF THESE DAYS WE'RE GOING TO LOOK BACK & BE THANKFUL WE'RE LIVING IN THE THIRD WORLD OR SOME POOR COUNTRY, WHEN WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO AMERICA!" AMERICA IS ALREADY ON THE DECLINE ALONG WITH THEIR DOLLAR! I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER & SLOWER IN SOME WAYS, IN OTHER WAYS, EASIER.--BUT!: 54. THE WORSE THINGS GET, THE SOONER THEY'LL BE OVER! THE SAME IS TRUE WITH LIFE: AS YOU GROW OLDER, IN SOME WAYS LIFE GETS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT, A LITTLE HARDER. IN OTHERS, IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER. I DON'T THINK IT COULD BE ANY HARDER THAN IT WAS IN MY YOUTH. IN SOME WAYS I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU: YOU HAVE QUITE A BIT OF YOUR LIFE YET TO LIVE.--MINE'S BEHIND ME, TG!
55. MY JOB IS ALMOST DONE! SHOULD THAT MAKE ME FEEL BAD? OR GLAD! MOST OF MY PROBLEMS ARE OVER I HAVE LIVED MOST OF MY LIFE ALREADY, WITH ALL OF ITS TRIALS, TROUBLES, TRIBULATIONS & BATTLES. I'VE ACCOMPLISHED A GREAT DEAL, MORE THAN MOST MEN. I'VE DONE MY JOB, & THIS DIFFICULT LIFE IS ALMOST OVER.
56. DEATH WILL BE SWEET RELEASE TO A NEW WORLD & A NEW LIFE! MAYBE NEW PROBLEMS, I DON'T KNOW! ESPECIALLY TRYING TO HELP YOU IN THE SPIRIT! IS IT A SAD THING FOR ME TO SAY I THANK GOD THAT THE BIGGEST PART OF MY JOB IS OVER, THE WORST IS OVER, AT LEAST MOST OF IT IS OVER, & I'VE VERY LITTLE LEFT TO DO!
57. I THINK IT OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE YOU THAT PERHAPS THE BIGGEST PART OF OUR JOB IS BEHIND US! MAYBE WE HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED THE GREATEST PART IN NUMBERS, POPULARITY, SOWING, HARVESTING, PUBLICITY & ALL OF THAT. WE HAVE DONE THE JOB MANY PLACES, WE HAVE WON THE WAR! NOW WE NEED TO FEED THE SHEEP WE HAVE! AMEN? GBY! A JOB WELL DONE!
THO' HARDER, ROUGHER GROWS THE WAY
AS WE STRIVE ONWARD DAY BY DAY,
YET NEARER, BRIGHTER SHINES HIS LIGHT
AS WE NEAR THE END OF NIGHT!
AS 'ROUND THE WORLD WE WORK & ROAM
EACH WEARY STEP BRINGS CLOSER HOME!
FOR JOURNEY'S END WILL COME SOON--SEE!
--THERE HE WAITS FOR YOU & ME!
--AND AS HE GATHERS EACH ONE IN
FROM THIS OLD WORLD OF HATE & SIN,
HE'LL WELCOME HOME EACH FAITHFUL ONE
WITH ALL HIS JOY FOR A JOB WELL DONE!
--With love,--Dad.--(Mt.25:21)--
